Persona: The Child of Purity
by Mimi Myself and Iz
Summary: The hidden life of the Child of Purity. Set in August 1999.
1. The Masks I Shed in Tears

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Author's Note: This series is a total rewrite of one of many characters of Digimon. For now I will concentrate on two characters. It is sort of a cross between Digimon and a little of Serial Experiment: Lain. A bit of Star Wars also later on. Please pardon the absolute awkwardness of this fic: Really goofy dialogue, bad spelling, bad grammar, bad verb tense, and all that. This is my first attempt at Digimon Fanfiction. As with all my writing, they suck. I always overuse the ellipsis to express thought. I am not that good in psychology also**. This is a work in progress that needs A LOT of work.**

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Important Note: If there is anything in this story that resembles anyone else's work, I apologize. This was an original story I wrote back in May 2000. It was revised here and there over the months. After seeing the movie, I rewrote the first journal entry. I try to strive for originality. Heck, there are over 7,777 Digimon fiction on FanFiction.net out there! I tried my best to be original. My work pales to the other great work done by much better authors.

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Warning: This story totally twists and bends the characters from Digimon. Not to worry, the characters will remain as close to the series. However, I have added a little more exploring into their characters than the series lets on… and BOOM! The whole story goes downward in a twisting spiral; goes off the deep end and POW! It ends with everyone's head spinning! If you don't want that to happen, don't read any further! If you are used to this kind of goofiness, then you may proceed. Reviews are welcomed.

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Oh yes… In order to make this story more interesting than it should be; I kept the identity of the character from being revealed. Of course with the few obvious hints as the character tells the story, you should know who it is. It takes place in Season 01, before the DigiDestined arrive in the Digital World.

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Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon, Serial Experiment: Lain, or Star Wars.

Persona: The Masks I Shed in Tears

by Mimi, Myself, & Iz.

August 1999

A young adult… Twelve years old...

"Home at last!" I say as I took my shoes off and made my way through the living room. I saw my Mother cooking dinner in the kitchen. "Hello, Mother!" I greeted.

My Mother turned around and smiled at me. She put the spoon down and went up to me and gave me a hug. "Welcome home, dear," she said in her naturally cheery voice. "How was your day at school?" she asked.

"Perfect! As usual," I replied giving her a smile.

"That's good to hear," she smiled. "Dinner will be ready in 23 minutes. We're having you're favorite! Chicken katsu!"

"Great!" I said. Then I noticed the faint yet awful smell of burning rice. "Um, Mother, I think dinner might need a few extra minutes for it to be ready."

"OH NO! THE RICE!" She turned and ran towards the stove and carefully removed the smoldering pot of overcooked rice.

I sighed. My Mother never ceases to amaze me. I remembered my manners… "Need help, Mother?"

"NO, DEAR! I'M OKAY! I'M OKAY! I'M OKAY!" She manages to get the pot under the running sink water before it burst into flames while turning the stove burner off with her toes.

I know I should help her, but I might end up hurting myself. Despite some sticky situations, my Mother is still a pro in the kitchen. "Um, okay, Mother." I made my way to the stairs and said to her, "I am going upstairs to check on my computer. Okay, Mother?"

A loud crash of another pot answered me. I heard her say something I do not want to repeat. She was okay in the kitchen no matter what happened I concluded. I sighed again and continued my way to my bedroom.

I entered my bedroom. I take a look at my surroundings in contempt. Here and there, things I put with_… 'Was it all worth it to become this person who people only see the outside?' _ I realized that I was just standing there not moving for over a minute. Shaking my head I continued on to a door directly across from my bedroom door. The door is plain compared to the rest of my bedroom. When my friends visit, they never even notice this door when they hang around my bedroom. This door is a mask that hides my other self. Behind it is the self that would make my friends turn away from me. I laugh. _'Are they really my friends?'_

I grabbed my Pineapple NAVI laptop out from my large bag. Some of my friends kind of got used to me using this occasionally. I mean we all have to do homework on these things! It is not that I would just surf the web like they do. Well, my laptop is much more advanced than the ones my classmates have to use in the school's computer lab. Still, I gave my laptop a specific look so no one would dare get suspicious of me. My friends and classmates all say that my modified laptop is cute! It suites me! Another mask... A mask that my laptop wears. In itself it was still a mask under another mask of myself.

I gripped the doorknob and opened the door. After feeling the light gust of sterile ventilated air, I stepped inside. This room was as big as my bedroom. However, unlike my bedroom, this room has a totally different... feel to it. The lights were off. Only the late afternoon ambience shown through the sealed glass windows was able to cast light to the center of the room. I glanced out the windows. Outside it was a bit hazy... _'Come to think of it, the weather was sure becoming strange these past few days...'_

I usually liked to work in the dim light, but I did not feel like it today. Today I felt... so alive! Maybe because school was finally out for the summer and I have to go to summer camp! With that thought in mind, I flicked on the light switch. The lights finally flickered on. I heard the soft sound of the air conditioning unit activate at full power as well. With the room well lighted, my sight settled to the center of the room. There stood my beloved Sony NAVtop PC, or just plain NAVI.

The room feels more like those clean computer rooms that I have seen at my father's workplace. The room had white walls and flooring; a low-power air conditioner; special ceiling tiles for the air conditioner to circulate and filter the air. The Sony NAVI system itself was set up upon a large maple and black laminate L-shaped workcenter desk. Various matching storage and file cabinets were around the desk. In the center of it all was a very comfortable black leather task chair... My father paid no expense to keep this room tidy for my NAVI. Actually this whole room was another child bedroom with one more across. The door opposite from this room's door was locked for a reason. Only the hall doorway gave access to the third bedroom. I still cannot imagine myself having any more siblings.

The Sony NAVI system was a simple clear casing design. It had a twenty-inch flat-panel display. A surround-sound speaker system was placed at opposite ends of the desk. Underneath the desk was a standard keyboard and mouse pad that supports a cordless optical mouse that can be drawn out. Near the CPU were several optical-drives and three removable disk drives connected. A scanner was located on the right of the flat-panel display. A color printer/fax/copier, a cell phone, and two digital cameras were at the opposite side. Connected from the back of the CPU was a high-speed Internet satellite connection system.

The CPU itself practically screamed innovation, imagination, and technology at the same time. On the outside, the CPU appears more like an empty glass box of all things. Looks can be deceiving. The three duel microprocessors it housed ran at a speed of two gigahertz. Everything was so small it seemed the whole CPU was indeed nothing but an empty glass box. In it contained a high-end graphics card and sound card with five hundred twelve megabytes of memory. To top it all off, it has an expandable hard drive of eighty gigabytes to boot. With all that, the NAVI was top-of-the-line and state-of-the-art. A computer that can be easily upgraded by the user… or by itself! I really love this machine! I cannot imagine what the next millenium would bring.

With all that school work out of the way, I have time with my journal. I laughed and thought _'With all this computing power, all I want to do is review my little journal.'_ Just to review a bit before I leave for summer camp. Also I needed to download certain private files from my laptop. I sat in the nice comfortable leather task chair and turned on the power station. I stared at the blank screen of my NAVI. Within seconds, the computer comes alive. A nice opening music fills my ears. The wallpaper is a constant active shifting of soft color designs and hues. It almost serves as a screen saver. In its strange computer voice, it greets me.

I typed in my login name and password. It then asks for a voice-recognition password... my voice... my real Father's name... With that the computer opens my own custom desktop with all of today's events and incoming mail.

The flash notice of the summer camp session on the corner of the screen I did not need reminding of. There were only a few junk e-mails and a few from my friends. I can read those later… way later. There was one e-mail sent from a person with the address gennai@file.com. No one I know of. Must be another junk e-mail. However, this one was different. For some strange reason, the address was flashing unlike the others. I found it strange. I did not know my desktop was set up to do that. With interest, I opened it. It was blank. No attachments. Nothing. _'Great, probably just a mistake,'_ I thought as I erased it. Thankfully it was not carrying any viruses or my NAVI would have taken care of it automatically. I watch the animation as the little crumpled paper icon gets thrown into the wastebasket icon. _'Darn, that is getting old,'_ I thought. _'I have not gotten a good desktop theme in a long time.'_

I pulled open my Pineapple NAVI laptop and it instantly connected with the bigger Sony NAVtop PC. The Sony NAVI anticipated what I wanted to do and began a secure download of the files from the laptop to the NAVI drives. With that done, I switched applications and began to quickly scan through my little private journal on the NAVI. A private electronic diary. I skipped a few entries here and there. Just then I noticed specific entries that were the main causes of all of these masks I wear. As I read them again, my memory fills in the images from when I had started writing them down. Some of them were quite painful to relive again.

~~~~~~~

A child…

Five years old...

My old residence at Heighten View Terrace. My old home. It was night, I felt so sad and alone in my old bedroom. I was not sure why. I felt as if I was empty, as if there was more to me then I believed. Then I heard a loud crash. I opened the sliding door to my bedroom balcony and stepped out. I looked down from my forth-story balcony to the streets below. What I saw astonished me…

I remembered seeing the two monsters fight on the streets below. One monster looked like a giant green parrot. The other was an orange Tyrannosaurus looking monster. It looked like the orange dinosaur had a strange spiked helmet on. The monsters were fighting each other. Rubble from surrounding buildings, bridges, concrete roads, and sidewalks flew as the monsters fought each other. The parrot was winning. The orange dinosaur fell unconscious under the highway overpass.

I saw two children beside the fallen giant orange dinosaur. One child was a little baby girl in teddy-bear pajamas. The other child was an older boy, almost my age, with really badly combed brown hair. As I continued to watch, it looked like the children were sad for the fallen orange dinosaur. Several other children from the surrounding residences joined in watching the fighting from their own balconies. At first I was astonished and would be terrified of these two monsters, but somehow I felt in my heart that the orange dinosaur was friendly to the two children. It was protecting them. Now it was hurt badly. I felt sad for it. It looked like it was dead. I felt a solitary tear rolling down my check…

Then I heard a loud whistle… The older one was blowing a small whistle with all his might. The orange dinosaur awoke…

The orange dinosaur fought the parrot with amazing strength and firepower. The dinosaur won. A bright flash… Then all of a sudden, they were gone.

I am not sure what happened to me next. I remembered being surrounded by light. It seemed to have been coming like a beam from the sky. It was strange. I felt strange… as if something inside of me was awakening. Something so wonderful and pure… Then it was gone. I felt empty again. I blacked out on the balcony.

My parents awoke me the next morning. I found myself in my own bed. I told my parents about the monsters fighting on the streets below. They did not believe me. It was just a bad dream they said. Angrily, I dragged them outside to the balcony and showed them the exact street where it happened. The damage was still there. The entire street looked like it was torn to shreds. In fact the extent of damage extended four blocks! Rubble was everywhere. It did happened! It was no dream!

However, my parents said something like it was from a terrorist bombing. They did not believe me… I felt so confused after that. Was it really something else? Monsters are not real, they said. I soon believed them. I was dreaming. All that loud noises must have influenced my dreams. It was the only logical thing. A few days later, we moved away from Heighten View Terrace…

~~~~~~~

A child...

Seven years old...

I remembered after we moved away from Heighten View Terrace, things have not been going well with me and school. I still went to the same school as before. Not that I did not do well academically… It was that I was doing TOO well. My classmates were jealous of me when I was transferred two grades higher just in the first semester. The names the others called me. They threatened me. They hurt me. I did not want them to hate me. Why was it wrong? I could not stand it! With a rage that was now burning inside me, I done something I would have never thought I would ever do. I struck back at them.

All I remember after that was that I found myself at home. Tears on my face. My school uniform was all in a mess. My Mother was shocked at my appearance. She instinctively embraced my crying form. Even though I was hurting both physically and emotionally, I felt at ease in her arms.

"What's wrong, dear? What happened?" my Mother asked as she held me, never letting go.

"Oh, Mother! The other kids hate me!" I choked out as my face was still buried in her embrace. Hopefully she would not notice some of the bruises on my arm and a few spots of blood on my hands.

"Why, dear? Why would they hate a smart kind loving child like you?"

"Because of my advancement to the higher grade. They think I'm too smart! TOO SMART! They call me names…"

"Oh my poor baby." My Mother embraced me tighter but very gently. As I let out my last shed of tears, I was beginning to feel better now. She took me to the bathroom and cleaned me up. I was so happy to have such a wonderful Mother. Still I could not tell her fully what happened. It was not like any other child my age ever got involved in a fight. I tried to forget that the entire incident happened. I should not feel sorry. Those so-called classmates deserved everything that what was coming to them! They will not mess with me anymore! I guess it would be easy to forget how I reacted violently like that. I can cover it up with a mask.

After a few moments of cleaning and changing clothing, my Mother said to me, "Do you want to go to another school?"

I stood there puzzled. "What?"

"We can let you go to another school," she said.

"But where..." I asked.

"It's a private school your Father and I have looked into... but it is far away. You might have to board there."

I got angry and practically screamed at her. "I DO NOT WANT TO LEAVE HOME!" I calmed down as I saw the shock look in my Mother's face. I realized that I was acting rather unruly. I looked down and said, "I am sorry for yelling at you, Mother."

My Mother just smiled and said. "It's okay, dear. Tell you what… There is also another school right here in Odaiba... It is a great school for you to excel, but I am not sure if you would like it either."

"Why not? It's close to home."

"Some of the children are really... There are some lines drawn... Well, they are like me for example."

"What's wrong about you?" I asked confused. I, for the first time that day, looked at my mother closely. Her hair seemed to be getting darker. Not only that, her eyes were strangely darker too…

~~~~~~~

3 days later…

It took a few days for me to make my decision. I felt so happy they let me decide. I no longer remembered what happened that caused me to make this decision. I did not care. I was transferring to a different school! New faces! Maybe some friends. But there was one thing I needed to change. Something my Mother told me.

"Mother, Father, I have made my decision."

~~~~~~~

A child...

Ninth birthday...

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" my friends and parents say.

"Look at the birthday surprise in you room," my Father says.

I ran up to my bedroom and saw what was there. I jumped for joy and ran back to my parents and hugged them. "Oh thank you! It's really wonderful!" I say. My friends agreed as well as they took a peak at my bedroom.

After the cake and more gifts, it was late and my friends left for home. I wanted to get ready to go to bed. Just then my parents stopped me. "There is a second surprise in the next room dear," my Mother says as my parents lead me into my bedroom and into the adjoining bedroom. They opened the door. I was so excited! I had no idea what they were planning to surprise me with. They turn on the lights of the room. There stood a brand new top-of-the-line NAVtop PC that I so dreamed of having. On the side of it was my old Pineapple NAVI Laptop with new interchangeable custom shell casings.

"Happy Birthday!" both of my parents said.

I hugged them both. I was so happy. This was the happiest day of my life. Still, we had to air out my bedroom so I had to sleep in the third bedroom for the time being.

Midnight…

I awoke to some talking coming from the living room. From my temporary bedroom, I could faintly hear my Father and Mother talking.

I heard my Father ask, "Are you sure... are we encouraging... the wrong way?"

"It hasn't effect... academically at all... Top student! Still advanced... own way... all by... self," my Mother replies.

"But... hiding all that with... this act! ...honest friends... Never told them... Hides while they do pick on others that are brilliant. If they found out."

"Our child is clever... They are honest friends…" my Mother says.

"But is it wrong?" my Father asks

"No dear… will soon grow out of it…"

I smiled as I went to sleep. As I felt myself drifting off, I faintly heard my Mother say.

"We are hiding something too..."

~~~~~~~

Three months later...

It was close to midnight, as I quietly made my way from the bathroom. I did not want to wake up my parents. As I was walking past their bedroom, I noticed the lights were on. They were talking. Curiously, I peaked in the half-opened door. What I heard them talk about was something that would turn my world upside down.

"Should we tell now... That we are not... real parents… Adopted…" I heard the woman said to the man. That was all I heard…

I could not believe what they were talking about! It was then that I figured I was not really their child. These two people were not really my Father or Mother. I was adopted!

__

'No it can't be true.' I backed away from their door and slowly made my way back to my bedroom. All night I cried and tried to sleep. I keep pushing myself in believing that it was just a bad dream that my parents said those things. '_It did not happen!'_ No, it was true. My logical mind took over. All things that I never thought relevant were now falling into place. The change in my Mother's hair… Her eyes… Lack of photographs when I was a baby… Everything. As these clues fell into place, at the same time, my world fell apart. I felt so betrayed. So alone.

~~~~~~~

A child...

Ten years of age...

Since that night, my behavior was becoming erratic. I tried to concentrate on school as well. It was difficult, but I started to enjoy such pain. Things all fell apart... I thought of myself living in too separate worlds... The schizoid life I chose. The foundation... the love for my parents and the love they shown me. Now the foundation that used to be my parents… has given way.

I did not want to give up. My schoolwork was all that mattered. They only thing I could keep me going was school and... to hate these people who pretended to be my Mother and Father. Now I put up another mask. This time, the mask was about me being the wonderful child they had raised as long I could remember. Fake smiles... Happy about everything. That was all a lie. The masks that were about to break... My mask and the masks of my... parents… no… adoptive parents.

It was strange. I do not clearly remember anything that happened those 3 months. I am not sure how I snapped. I just remember myself in my computer room. What I was doing is something I cannot remember at all. I guess, for what happened next was so terrible, all my feeble mind could do was to forget it ever happened.

No knock at my door… Just the sudden careful a hands clenching on my shoulders.

That woman's voice behind me... "Honey, your spending too much time your computer you should stop and..."

In a rage I stood up knocking the leather chair down and violently shoved her back. "YOU CAN'T TELL ME WHAT TO DO! YOU ARE NOT MY REAL MOTHER!"

I remembered running from the room, down the stairs, and out of the house… I hid myself for hours… Maybe days… I just cannot remember what happened during those dreadful days. Why can't… _Can't?_ I am starting to use contractions! WHY CAN'T I REMEMBER WHAT HAPPENED!

I think I have lost my mind.

~~~~~~~

A child...

2 weeks later…

Strange as it may seem, this was where the next journal entry begins. It was still distorted…

"Honey. Why do you think we are not your... rea... true parents..."

"I overheard you… Sixteen days ago I overheard you saying that I was actually… You adopted me as your child."

"Please forgive us, honey. We wanted to tell you when you were ready… When we were ready."

I listened to them. All I remembered was saying an apology… I do remember that I felt a deep sense of regret for behaving like such a rotten child to these two wonderful human beings who have given so much to me. I said I loved them… no matter what I am or they are…

"I love you Mother… I love you Father…" I hugged them tightly.

~~~~~~~

A child… Eleven years old…

It was ten in the morning on Christmas Day. All my gifts were put away as I helped clean up all the torn gift-wrap that littered the around. I glanced at the fireplace. There was a little lighted sculpture of the birth scene of baby Jesus. I felt one emptiness within me emerge. One thing that was still left unanswered. I felt it was the right time to find that answer. I came up to my Father sitting on the couch and uneasily said in a small voice, "Father?"

"Yes, what is it?"

I looked at my feet and then asked, "Who were my other parents? M-my b-biological parents," I stuttered. I looked up at his face, expecting to see him angry. I was surprised as he smiled at my bravery and let me sit next to him on the couch. I then found my courage and asked, "What were they like?"

Then he shook his head sadly. "We do not know much about them. All we know was that they died in a terrible car accident. The car crashed down in a ravine and caught fire. Firefighters, Police, passers-by, all helped to put out that burning wreckage." I saw that he was crying. I was crying too. He then continued, "I'm so sorry. The police could not open any records regarding your parents. The records were unavailable or missing. I don't know why. Your parents were left unidentified. As if by a miracle, all they found was you alive a few feet away from the burning wreckage."

I was startled by his words. Then what he said did not make sense. "But no records?! That is not possible! Surely there must be some record of them?" I asked.

"I'm sorry. It is a mystery even to the adoption agency." He then looked at me. A look of sadness…

"What is it, Father?"

He closed is eyes as he held me. "There is something else you should know."

Just then, my Mother walked in holding a small gift-wrapped box. She was crying also. She held it in her hands as if it was something sacred. "We were saving this for you when you reached your twelfth birthday. But we believe now that you were already mature enough to have it."

"What is it, Mother?"

She handed me the box. I examined it. It was just a small sized box wrapped in Birthday gift-wrapper. I looked at my Mother and Father in question. They said nothing. The silence in the room was practically deafening!

"Go ahead and open it, dear," my Mother finally said.

I quickly unwrapped the box and opened it. Inside was something that looked like a necklace. I took it out of the box. It was a pendant! It was silver with gold trims. It was so beautiful! It was tear-shaped. It had some scarring on it as if it was in a fire. I suddenly realized what it was and where it came from.

"This was all that what was left... There was no way to open it. The adoption agency said that the police found you with that. You held that pendant in your hands and would not let go of it."

I looked at it again. "I see…" I ran my fingers through the tear shaped pendant. I thought doing so would give me some sort of physical and somewhat nonphysical evidence of what my biological parents were.

"There is something else you should know," I heard my Mother say.

I continued running my hands on the pendant. For some odd reason I found a hidden clasp. It was hidden well from the naked eye, but I found it as if I was drawn to it. I pushed it and saw the pendant open. Inside was a photograph! A picture of my biological parents I soon realized!

"Oh my! You opened it!" my Mother said in surprise. Both my Mother and Father huddled around me to get a look at the picture.

It was a faded photograph; no doubt suffered some of the damage during the accident. It was a picture of a man and a woman. I could make out that the woman was cradling a baby in her arms. "That must be me!" I would have been satisfied with that conclusion until I noticed the man was holding another child also. "What a minute! There are two babies in this picture?"

"My God. This confirms it," my Father said in shock. I look at him in confusion.

"What confirms what, Father?" I ask.

He shook his head and looked at me. Tears streaming down his checks. "There was evidence of another child seat in the car. There were some toys that were made for boys that were present in the car. It was concluded that besides you, there was another child. Possibly a boy. They were not sure. Only that child's body was not found. Police later concluded that he was either thrown out of the car into the ravine below or was killed in the fire. They just could not find any more evidence. Most of everything was so badly burnt beyond recognition. He could not have survived either in the ravine."

My Mother then embraces me tightly. I felt my Father's arms too. My logical mind started to race as I tried to piece it all together…

I then came to the answer…

I felt their tears on me as well as my own. Then my Mother spoke in a soft voice. "You had a brother..."

~~~~~~~

2 months later…

Unmarked graves

JOURNAL VIEWING INTERRUPTED

I closed all the files down and leaned back. The NAVI logged itself off for me and shut down. It was starting to think like me. It was scary. I shook off the feeling as I leaned back on the chair and began to think. Thinking back to those days. I noticed I was crying. Tears of sadness, loneliness, or joy? I did not know for sure. All I do know is that I love my parents as much as before I knew the truth. Maybe even more. I love them so much. They gave me everything any caring loving and parent would. I just wished that I could do the same in return. Maybe to take back all of those mistakes I have made. No! Never! If I had a chance to relive those past ten or so years, I would not change a thing. Those mistakes have taught me so many things. New things I have discovered on my own. I have changed so much. Hiding behind these masks. So far the past few years, I feel a few masks slip away and forgotten. I feel so relieved, so alive, as I face the future on my own. I am always changing for the better. How much will I be different in the future? Will these masks be gone? I do not want to feel empty anymore.

I shut off the lights and close the door to the room. I look at my bedroom clock. It was 5:03 in the evening. Father will be coming home soon. I put my laptop on my study. I plop myself onto bed and think about what to pack for Summer Camp. I sigh. It was just 52 hours left to get ready. I know most of my friends will be there so I know which clothes to bring. Something practical of course. Gloves, hiking shoes, they said...

I look at the laptop on my desk. It would be strange to bring it to summer camp. What would my friends say?

'School's over!'

'No homework!'

'What good is it for now? Surfing the web?!'

Not that I would be surfing on it all day! There are puzzle programs that would keep me busy! Some interesting web pages to browse. Looking at the next school year schedule. Playing games on it? That's what they think I do with it any ways. Who cares!

I decided no. I will not bring it. I do not need it. I can let my mind do the work... I do not need a computer to solve problems! Any ways, what problems? This was just summer camp! I just want to have fun... Something that I felt cannot be taken for granted. Life is short! I am only twelve years old!

I place the pink shell laptop in my desk drawer. Good riddance!

Just one mask I can do without for once.

I stare at the pink painted walls of my room. Maybe someday... all of this. The masks would be cast out for good. Was it all worth it? My so-called friends are those that would pick on computer nerds. But, I am not like them... not like any of them. I am not a nerd nor like my so-called friends. I am who I am. I want to be my true self. My style belongs to me. Not be afraid of what people might think.

Still, I look at the past two years in disgust. I was top student but… that pathetic act I keep up... The heaviest mask I wear. _'The Pink Princess.'_ So happy... klutz out a bit... act like a complete air-head… give strange suggestions... shop-a-holic fashion freak... I have been called a ditz many times. Normally I would be hurt if someone called me that. It never did hurt me. Should it? How far have I buried myself in this act that I don't care anymore? What kind of fool have I become? I want to change. Is it too late? I really started to feel alone again.

My right hand wanders to where the tear-shaped pendant resting on my chest with its golden chain around my neck. I started to think on whether to leave this back home when I leave for camp. I always feared it would get lost or stolen. But, as I felt it resting on my chest, I felt compelled not to leave it behind. It was as if something was telling me to bring it. I must never leave it behind. It was all that I have of left of my real parents. No mater what happens to me, I will never ever be apart from it.

I was so deep in my thoughts that I failed to notice someone enter my room and sit at the foot of my bed. "Mimi, dear?" I heard my Mother voice not far from me.

"Yes, Mother?" I look at my Mother sitting next to my bed in question. It has been approximately nine months since she quit dying her hair to look like mine. Gone and forgotten are those contacts lenses that made her eyes light like mine are too.

She has a concerned look on her face. "Are you going to wear your pendant to summer camp?" she asks.

"Yes, Mother."

"But it is pre..."

Interrupted her with a nod and said, "Precious to me, yes. But, Mother, I feel I should take it with me. I do not know why, but I know I should not leave it behind."

"It's just summer camp. You know… all that hiking, swimming, running around…"

"I have been through tougher places before, Mother. I have always worn my pendant."

"Aren't you afraid you might lose it or have it stolen?"

"I will be careful. I'll place it aside if I go swimming or some other extraneous activities at camp. I will not let anyone touch it either."

"Okay, I just hope you don't lose it okay, dear?"

I sat up and held her hand. "Mother, I promise I will take care of it. It is just that I feel I must keep it with me. A feeling I cannot explain, but I know I must follow it."

"All right, dear. I understand." She hugged me and I hugged her back. My Mother then got up and stepped out for the moment. Later she comes in with three large pink suitcases.

I sighed. "Mother, I only need one."

"I know dear. But you never know." She puts the cases near the dresser.

I sigh again.

"Do you need help packing?" she asks.

"No. Already figured out what to bring."

"Well, here." She throws something large at me. Startled, I quickly held up my hand to catch the pink blur whatever it was. When I realized what I held in my hands, I was in shock. It was a large pink sun hat! A brand new one! Similar to the one that I outgrew two years ago. "Don't want you to get sunburn."

"Ack, Mother!" I cry holding the pink hat as if it was a dead rat. "This thing?"

My mother playfully grabbed me, still clenching the hat, over to my dresser mirror. "Try it on."

I sigh in defeat. "Oh, all right." I put on the cursed hat and looked at my dresser mirror. I could not believe it. Strange as it seemed, it looked great on me. I cannot believe I missed the old hat. It might just go well with my red dress. I shake my head. I cannot believe that I am acting like this! A ditzy fashion freak! Then it hits me. Maybe it IS I. I am not just a computer freak hiding behind a fake mask of popularity and fashion. Perhaps there is no mask. Maybe I am both. A computer freak and a fashion freak? Maybe I am more… Of course the ditzy part I am not! I shake my head again. Oh well, my style will only be my style. I finally noticed a bright cheery smile present on my face. A pure and sincere smile I have not felt in a long time.

"There's our Little Princess," my Mother says. She kisses me on the cheek and quietly leaves. She turns around and whispers, "Dinner's almost ready, dear. You're Father will be home any minute. Be a little quiet on the way down."

"I will, Mother."

As my mother left, I look at the tear shaped pendant again. I felt for the hidden clasp and opened the pendant. Inside was the same worn faded color photograph of a young family. A man and a woman in the picture. Both of them carried one child in their arms. The husband, the wife, and their twin babies. The woman... my Mother. Long light colored hair. Almost like mine. She almost looks like me. I look like her. Still there was one striking difference. Her eyes. Eyes so dark... unlike mine. Endless depths of darkness.

The man... my Father. My Father's picture was damaged a bit. His features were worn and distorted. I cannot make out the face as well. Just a silhouette indicated that he was taller than my Mother was. He had dark slightly long spiky hair. Everything else was worn from the fire damage. The only thing I could see clearly of my Father's face was his eyes. Eyes exactly like mine. The same color! Only his name I remember now. Genma.

Before I leave for summer camp, I intend to research deeper. I would break into the Department of Health or the FBI files if I had to. I want to know who they were. What they were like.

I stare at the babies they are holding... Twins... One of them is I. The other... my brother.

I walked out of my bedroom and walked down the hall. Passing the door of the computer room and then stopped in front of another door. This was the main door to the third bedroom. Here my baby brother was sleeping. I quietly walked through the opened door to his cradle. He looked so cute! I kiss his cute little forehead. He was a true biological descendent of the Tachikawas. He was definitely a miracle to my Mother and Father. He is child blessed to be born to such wonderful parents. I feel blessed as well for I am a part of our family.

To be continued...


	2. The Gemini Subconscious

****

Author's Note: First off, I would like to thank everyone that reviewed my first story,** _Persona: The Masks I Shed in Tears_**. I really appreciated the wonderful reviews and some interesting ideas. I apologize if some readers did not like the way I kept the character's identity hidden until the end. I felt it would make the story line a bit interesting, as if it ever was at all. The original title of the Mimi series was supposed to be called **_Pink Persona_**. I changed it at the last minute. I just wanted to focus the first story on a very different Mimi Tachikawa. Once the _Persona_ series is finished, I will focus on a new series from Sora's POV. The timeline will take place directly after the end of _Persona_.

****

Important Note: As you well know, this series is a total rewrite of one of many characters of Digimon. The Persona series is based on Mimi only. A new series with Sora will follow later. I will be skipping timelines once the characters are established to a certain point. In other words, I am making rewrites for characters in certain situations, but not for every single episode!

The overall story now involves Digimon, some of the Matrix, and a bit of Star Wars. You might be wondering about the Star Wars stuff. Not to worry, hopefully I can get to that. **As usual: Really goofy dialogue, poor vocabulary, poor spelling, poor grammar, poor verb tense, and all that**. I know absolutely nothing about computer hacking as well, so I will be making all it up. Again, I will be overusing the ellipsis to express thought. If you are used to my kind of goofiness, then you may proceed to read on. Reviews are welcomed. **Again, this is a work in progress that requires a LOT of work.**

****

Important: If there is anything in this story that resembles anyone else's work, I apologize. The original story was something I wrote back in May 2000. Now I am trying to continue on as I strive for originality. It is difficult.** There are over 8000 fics in the Digimon section!** As usual, my work pales in comparison to the other great work done by much better authors.

****

Another Note: Even though I have given the character of Mimi an interest in computers, her thoughts and dialogue still coincide with the original character in the TV series. Mimi is still the Child of Sincerity (Purity in my fic), not the Child of Knowledge. If you have noticed, her dialogue does not sound like Koushiro's. Hers is just plain and simple. I am still unable to write like Koushiro when he says his dialogue. I can listen and understand a bit of what he is talking about in the show and movie. But when I sit down and try to type and match Koushiro's dialogue, all I get is incomprehensible techno-babble that they use in Star Trek!

I just made Mimi speak without contractions. I don't have a good reason why. I guess it would sound cute and strange if Philece Sampler did Mimi's voice that way. Not to worry, the other characters follow more closely to the original TV series. Well, almost.

****

This story takes place in Season 01, before the DigiDestined arrive in the Digital World. The first day trip to summer camp. No action, just a lot, I do mean a LOT, of dialogue. It is just a short continuation from Mimi's POV.

Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon, the Matrix, or Star Wars.

Persona: The Gemini Subconscious

by Mimi, Myself, & Iz.

August 1999

A twelve year old girl… Tachikawa, Mimi

A strangers voice… _"Reinheit."_

I bolt up from my bed. I was breathing heavily. I looked at my alarm clock. It was 6:43 in the morning. I lay there in bed for a few minutes. As with many of my dreams, I have forgotten exactly what my dream was about after I awaken. Only tiny bits and pieces of it. All I remembered from this one was just a lot of dark shadows smothering me. A sense of accusation haunted my soul as more and more shadows piled on my body. I kept hearing the terrifying yelling and screaming. Beyond the screams came a voice that seemed to rise above the chaos. Yet it was a calm and soothing voice. I could not remember enough to distinguish if the voice was male or female. It said something that sounded like… _"reinheit."_

I shook my head. It would seem my paranoia has created such a nightmare. Paranoia again… Adrenaline... My thoughts drift back to the events not long ago. Last night was the first time I held on to my promise to do a search for anything on my parents and my twin brother. This meant actual computer hacking.

I never really thought of myself much as a hacker. I have a profound interest in computers, but I was not one that would use the technology to pry into personal documents, private files, restricted access, top-secret… I could if wanted to, but that is just not I. Respecting other's privacy was something I hold so dear. But sensing some desperate plea from my soul, I just had to. I had to try. Just a little start at least! What was so wrong to find out more of one's long lost family?

You may ask, "Why have I waited this long? Why now when I had to leave so soon tomorrow? Why this sudden obsession? Why such recklessness for one such as I to engage in computer hacking?" I do not know. I felt that I had to. I just knew I had to do it now!

~~~

Seven hours earlier… 11:15PM

__

'Tonight is the night!' My parents were in bed. I had to remember to stay quiet. My baby brother was asleep just next door to where I was. My excitement was building. My Sony NAVtop PC was set up to go. The Iceberg Rebus program was the only decryption software that my Father allowed on my computer. It should be enough. My Father would be so furious at me if he found out how I customized the program to do what I was about to do. The Siphon Filter would act as a detection device if there would be any detectable stray data big or small leaving or entering my computer. The Virus Shield was active just in case. Finally I had my Tracer program connected to the satellite Internet device and phone line. If I got caught in any way, the Tracer will warn me, scramble all profile and ID data, and allow me enough time to log off and do a full system shutdown.

I was ready. I felt like Keanu Reeves in _The Matrix! '…Odaiba is gonna go bye bye…'_

Iceberg accessing… The Adoption Agency of Tokyo

Their database consists of all operating adoption centers throughout Japan.

It was not difficult to get pass certain security screens. Rebus accessing… "Four… three… two… and one to go. Got it!" I cried softly, remembering to stay quiet. "This is sooo easy!" I smiled at my accomplishment. I tapped into the main database. I checked the on-line access screen counter. It read, 'zero.' The Siphon Filter was working perfectly! That means, only I was accessing the database, yet it appears that the database is not being accessed at all. I was just a ghost in the machine!

I continued accessing the database. Here should be all current records pertaining to every adopted child in Japan, adoptive name, original birth name, where they live now, who their biological parents were… My hands froze. _'WHAT AM I DOING? I cannot just pry through the lives of every adopted child! This is wrong!'_ My mind was racing. _'I just cannot do it!_' Then I reasoned with myself… _'I will just check my name. My record only. That will satisfy me for now. That was all I wanted to see here.'_

I made my choice. I came up with the only quickest way to remedy this problem. I turned on my computer's voice box. The entire computer was designed to accommodate any impaired users. The computer made two chime sounds. I then said to the computer, "Vision, Level 4."

In its strange yet calm artificial voice, it responded, _"QUESTION: PRIMARY USER SETTINGS RECONFIGURATION?"_

"No. Temporary Settings. Simulation."

__

"ACKNOWLEDGED." The display screen darkened. The computer will respond to my voice commands from now on until I tell it to stop. It will accept and perform any command I give it as easily as if I had a mouse and keyboard. The computer was simulating that I was a user with impaired vision. My hands left the keyboard.

Subconsciously, my feet were slowly moving off the floor, my legs drawing towards my chest… my arms clenching them. I could have typed out my commands, but I found myself gathering into a fetal position on the task chair. I probably looked pretty pathetic. I felt ashamed. Here I was, in my pajamas, rocking back and forth_... 'I have all the information of every adopted child in my hands… this was not right.'_ All I could do was stay like that for awhile as I reasoned out my actions. _'Just my files. Just my files only.'_ My eyes were to remain closed for the time being. Even with the monitor at minimum visual mode, I did not want to see any other children's names. No matter what. Just mine. Just my record only once I found it.

I stopped rocking, but remained in a fetal position with my eyes closed. Then, mustering all the dignity and courage I had left, I continued. In a small voice I said to my computer, "Use database search engine. Find 'T' alpha."

__

"AAT SEARCH ENGINE ACCESSED. PROCESSING. LIST PRESENT. 1,900,908 ENTRIES."

"Key search, 'child last names'"

__

"PROCESSING. LIST PRESENT. 908 LAST NAMES."

"Search for last name, 'Tachikawa.'"

__

"PROCESSING. 7 ENTRIES."

"Key, 'Tachikawa.' Search for first name, 'Mimi.'"

__

"PROCESSING. 1 ENTRY"

"Open."

__

"PROCESSING. TACHIKAWA, MIMI. 23 FILES."

I finally opened my eyes to a faint lit screen. I made sure it was my record. I saw, very faintly, my name on the window. Satisfied, I said to the computer, "End Simulation. Restore Default Settings."

__

"ACKNOWLEDGED." The display screen restored back to normal. The sudden brightness hurt me eyes for a few seconds. When my eyes adjusted, I continued on to inspect my record.

I opened the first file. It was a scanned file of a court document indicating that I was now the custody of Mr. and Mrs. Tachikawa. It was the same copy that my parents showed me just last year. I clicked on my mouse to save the entire document. I downloaded copy of the file to my removable disk drive. I waited with my fingers cross… The icon flashed that the download was complete. "Yes! Download successful!" I said, almost too loudly. The Siphon Filter program held up well. However, if I attempted to copy all 23 files at once, the Siphon Filter will overload and crash and I might get caught. It must be done one at a time. Painfully time consuming, but it was for security reasons. The end result would be worth it.

I continued on. Police record… unidentified male and female… cause of death… found one child… presumed second child… It was so painful to read this, but I continued… It still told me nothing... nothing new. I made up my mind and downloaded a copy to my drive. The next two files were my medical records. blood type… Medical babble… Nothing useful at all. Without hesitation I downloaded a copy. I came across the next file. It was my birth certificate. It was made during the time of my adoption. It had the Tachikawa name on it. There was no new information about it. My parents showed me a copy of this as well. I downloaded a copy anyway. I might be able to do a multi-layer scan with PhotoEditor later.

Then it hit me. The PhotoEditor… the picture of my parents… my Father's name… GENMA! I could use the database to search for my Father's first name. Then by process of elimination, I would be able to narrow it down so that I can at least see if his name would be connected to my record! The Adoption Agency database shares a link with the Nippon Census Bureau, which has a file on every citizen in Japan! Perfect! I knew it would be a long shot, but it would not hurt to try. I just needed to access the database search engine again.

As I was about to click on the search icon, I heard the computer make a bell sound! I panicked! "Uh, oh! What was that?" I checked all the protection programs, Tracer, Siphon Filter, Virus Shield... Everything looked okay. _'Why did it make a bell warning?'_ I checked the Tracer again. Nothing. I checked the Siphon Filter again. Nothing… _'Wait! The Siphon Filter! Something just happened!'_ As I looked closely, the on-line access screen counter just flashed 'minus zero' for a second, then back to 'zero' again! I would have missed it if it did not happen again. The flashing was not consistent. The only thing my logical mind came up with was that… _someone just logged in, and is browsing through the Adoption Agency database as I am!_

"Oh no." I breathed. This did not seem right. Who would be browsing at this hour? Then it hit me, the Siphon Filter! It was flashing 'minus zero!' Actually, it was 'negative zero!' That means that this new user was operating under the same Siphon Filter program or something similar! He or she too was covering his or her tracks! He or she must be another hacker! Another ghost in the machine! The main reason it was flashing 'negative zero' was because this new hacker too was now downloading files! _'I wonder if this guy noticed me?'_ I thought.

I clicked on the Siphon Filter for more details. It showed me which area of the database the hacker was accessing. The 'I' alpha. The Siphon Filter could not tell exactly which item or name he or she was accessing. The user's actions remained consistent… on one record only. _'Good! The hacker did not notice me. This guy is unaware that there is a twin hacker close by. Ha! I was on-line first!'_ Still, the bad part for me was that I could no longer download, do a new search, or leave the currently open record without disturbing the equilibrium of both of our Siphon Filters running at the same time! We were in a still body of water. No tides, no waves, no splash, no ripples… It was like submarine warfare! Submarines must remain in complete silence and stillness to avoid detection. They must become just 'a hole in the water.' That was what I was doing. I must not disturb the silence. I must not make a single ripple in the water.

I was not too sure of what to make of this new hacker. Should I just ignore the hacker or should I worry? Maybe this guy was toying with me from the start. _'Oh well, we were right now doing something illegal. Maybe this person was just like me. Why should we let something disrupt our… curiosity?'_ I decided just to let the hacker finish. This guy was in the 'I' alpha. I remained in the 'T' alpha. That was the only safety margin in which both of us can operate without disturbing each other or setting off the security. Hopefully this guy would just stay in that alpha. If we both were accessing the same alpha, record, or file at the same time the Siphon Filter would definitely overload. Then the game is up.

I was tired of waiting, but I was still patient enough to wait. I was sure then that this guy would be finished soon and get off-line. Then I could continue on with the new search for my Father's name. _'We are just two passing ships. Much too screwed being submarines! I will just wait awhile.'_

Wait…

Wait…

Wait…

Wait…

After twenty-two minutes, I was getting impatient! I was tapping my left foot. My hands were on the side of my waist. _'When the heck will this… this… ass… er… this… HOLE going to finish? Why is this jerk taking so long?'_ Frustrated, I checked the number of downloads the hacker was doing. The Siphon Filter indicates nineteen downloads so far. I blinked. _'Hmmm, this guy must be accessing an adopted child's record if it contained that amount of files. The hacker was still on the same child's record. A child either with a first or last name initial of the letter 'I'. The hacker was on that record for awhile. Just like I am stuck with mine.'_ I was intrigued. It was like we were going after the same thing… _ 'Well, aside from being rudely interrupted, at least I can still browse my record some more! …stupid inconsiderate jerk...'_

I checked the remaining files I had not opened yet. There were only three more files to browse through, so I continued on to the next file, File 21. It took a while for it to open… _'Strange.'_ When it finally opened, what I saw puzzled me. It looked like a birth certificate file, but the background was all dark green. It was difficult to read anything on it. However, in the center of the _birth certificate_ were the words in large red font:

FILE UNDER REPAIR

BY ORDER:

TANE-002-101-MOTI-002-102

SECTION: GEN-999-002-LAD-999-003

I stared at the screen. It was just so strange. I was so confused. I was loss for words… Well maybe… "What the f-"

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

I was interrupted from my reverie by a loud beeping sound. "What happened now?" I almost yelled. I finally realized that it was the Tracer window flashing red. It gave me a warning that the security system of the Adoption Agency's database was just activated! The Tracer program gave me an approximate time before the agency's security program traces my connection to the database. _'Twenty-five seconds!'_ I was in a panic! No, I was in a FREAKING FRENZY! All I could do was command my computer to do an automatic system shutdown. The NAVI was already ahead of me and started to go through the process…

"Damn it!" I was pacing back and forth in front of the desk, every once in awhile glancing at the NAVI screen as it went through the shutdown. The NAVI scrambled my profile data several times, then finally closed File 21... I continued pacing with my hands covering my face. "What could have set it off? The Siphon Filter was working perfectly!" Then I realized what happened. _'Oh no…'_ I quickly stopped pacing and looked at the Siphon Filter window. I checked the on-line access screen counter. It read 'two.' _'THAT IDIOT! HE WAS ACCESSING MY FILE! THAT CRAZY FILE 21!"_ I started pacing again.

__

'How did he find out I was on-line? How did he know I was in the 'T' alpha? How did he know I was accessing that particular file? Was there a link? Was it luck? Was it coincidence? What the heck was up with File 21?' All of these questions were scrambling in my brain and I was so stressed out to even stop and answer any of them. My head was spinning. Time seemed to move slowly, but my computer reminded me the normal pace of time. The voice was from the Tracer program and it was louder than the usual computer voice.

__

"ATTENTION," it boomed_._

"Shhhh… Quiet, you," I hissed as I turned the speaker volume down.

__

"Tracer Shield Successful. Ten seconds remaining before intruder security breaches system. Ten seconds remaining for system shutdown."

"Oh no…"

__

"10"

__

"9"

"Come on… come on… come on…"

__

"8"

__

"7"

__

"6"

"Oh please hurry!" I was practically running in place with small steps and my hands were pressed to the top of my head…

__

"5"

__

"4"

__

"3"

__

"2"

The screen went blank. All the switch lights were off. Not a sound from the NAVI. The NAVI has finally reached total shutdown… It had beaten the security program… It was over as my adrenaline levels decreased… It was over… I took the disk out of the drive and placed it in one of the file cabinets. It was over… It was over… _…paranoia…_

I turned off the lights and walked out the computer room to my bedroom. I slowly closed the door. _…paranoia…_

I realized I was walking like a zombie. The adrenaline… lowering… down... I stood at the foot of my bed with my back to it. I jumped a little as I fell backwards and plopped myself on the bed. My hair fell around my head like a brown halo. As the bouncing stopped, I tried to go to sleep. …_paranoia…_

__

…paranoia…

The nightmare…

__

"Reinheit…"

~~~

Present time…

__

"Reinheit…"

__

'What did it mean? Sounded German…'

I wonder what time I actually got to sleep. I am not sure if I got enough sleep. I did not feel tired though. Just the anxiety of being paranoid. However, I was not caught. I should not be worried. If that security program did catch me, some strange people would have been at my door within the hour that night… They would drag my Mother and Father away… My baby brother and I would be separated from them… I probably would not even wake up in my own bedroom… Maybe not wake up at all! I shook my head again. I have been watching too much of that American made television series, the _X-Files_.

__

'Wait! Maybe I was caught!' They are just studying me now… Playing with me… Those Men in Black… _'Stop it!'_ I say to myself. I had full confidence in my Sony NAVtop PC. It performed admirably. I already took all the precautions. I let out a sigh of relief.

It was now impossible to hack the database again because of the alerted security program. It probably limited the database access to the agency's top personnel only. Any outside access, even from other government agencies, will be stopped for authentic clearance verification. It might take months for the security to be lifted. Even if it were, they would have established new security measures that even my Icebreaker would be too obsolete to get pass it. _'Too bad. I was so close!'_ I covered my face with my right hand in disgust. _'It was all that idiot's fault! That stupid inconsiderate jerk!'_

__

'I wondered who he or she was?' I thought to myself. _'I got to admit. The hacker was still a pro! The Siphon Filter indicated that he or she logged-off before I did. I am sure he or she had a fast Tracer program." _Another scary thought came to mind. _'Oh no! That guy knew my file! He must know my name!'_ I covered my face with both my hands. Wait. Something was wrong. In order to get to my file, he or she had to access the 'T' alpha first. The Siphon Filter would have given me a warning if that happened. However, it looked like the other hacker went straight to my file. How was that possible? Maybe his file was linked to mine. He had a File 21 also? That was a possibility... Maybe File 21 was a file that all adopted children had in their records. The file was blank from the looks of it. It did not really have my name on it. There was no identification at all. The database might have gotten confused when both of us finally reached File 21 at the same time. That was highly probable…

I think I felt better now…

I stared at the pink painted ceiling a little longer and let it calm my thoughts down. My pink painted bedroom, one the gifts from my parents on my ninth birthday. The other gift was behind that door to the second room. I came to the conclusion that I would never computer hack again. It was just not healthy for me. It just was not me. As for my lost family, I may still have a chance… some other way. I gave out a slight yawn. I smiled to myself. I felt better now. I was not paranoid anymore. I felt so relaxed. I felt myself drifting in a relaxing state… finally a restful sleep…

BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!

I nearly shrieked as I fell out of bed. '_Men in Black… Men in Black… Men in Black…'_ was the only thing my still sleepy mind could conclude. I scrambled to my feet only to fall down again. My cloudy mind began to focus on my surroundings more clearly. Somehow as my mind became more alert, that once perceived loud banging noise was actually a soft tap at my bedroom door.

__

Tap…tap...tap...tap...tap...tap...

"Ummm… Mimi… Are you up?" I heard my Mother call. "Honey?"

"I'm up, Mother." I replay, trying to sound cheerful.

"Okay, dear. Please join us for breakfast. Quick, before your Father leaves without having a chance to say goodbye to you."

"I will, Mother. I will be down in a few minutes," I say as I finally got up and fixed my bed.

"All right, dear. Hurry. Plus you have a big day ahead of you." With that, I heard her walk down the hallway.

I looked at my clock. It was 7:25 in the morning. In approximately 2.3 hours, I have to be at the bus terminal downtown. My Mother will drive me there along with my luggage. When we get there, other children and myself will board buses that would take us to the mountainsides overlooking Odaiba. This was where the summer camp was located.

Fun

Fun

Fun

That was all I truly needed right now… No more computers for once…

I finished fixing up my bed. It was quick to finish, due to the fact that I did not even sleep under the covers. I stretched and gave a yawn. I went to the dresser and looked at myself at the mirror. My vision finally cleared. Somehow, I wished that it was not…

"OH NOOOO!!! MY HAIR!!!!"

"You say something, dear?" I heard my Mother from the hallway.

I was too upset to answer her right away. I looked back at my reflection with absolute disgust.

"What a way to start the morning," I groaned.

To be continued...


	3. Return to Innocence

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Author's Note: First off, I would like to thank everyone that reviewed my last story, _Persona: The Gemini Subconscious._ I really appreciate the wonderful reviews. I know my writing style stinks. I apologize. I just like to have character to slow down awhile and have their thoughts spill. The overall story now involves Digimon, plus a bad Sailor Moon crossover, some Matrix, and a bit of Star Wars. **As usual: Really goofy dialogue, poor vocabulary, poor spelling, poor grammar, poor verb tense, and all that**. Reviews are welcomed.** This is a work in progress that requires A LOT of work.**

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Important Note: There is a short reference to the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, which were the famous Japanese-American Soldiers that answered the call of duty during World War II. This reference is based on my friend's relative who is a true-life veteran of that war. I felt very honored to have known someone such as him. With his blessings and my friend's permission, I have included a bit of his real life experience in my story. The character in this story has been fictionalized of course for creative and personal reasons. THIS IS IN NO MEANS OF ANY DISRESPECT TO ANY OF THESE WONDERFUL BRAVE HEROES AND TO ALL THAT SERVE THEIR COUNTRY. Thank you for your understanding.

I researched some of the information from this article I found on the web: http://www.thehistorynet.com/WorldWarII/articles/07965_text.htm

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Another Note: If there is anything in this story that resembles anyone else's work, I apologize. I am trying to continue on as I strive for originality. I know there are a lot of stories involving Mimi's hate/love relationship with the color pink. All I can do is to do my best to be original as possible. As usual, my work pales in comparison to the other great work done by much better authors. **Special thanks again to my friend who also helped me correctly name all the gear Mimi will be carrying in this fic**. My friend insisted that I put all of the authentic gear in. I am starting to worry about my friend now…

****

Warning: This is my first SONGFIC! Arrrggghh! I am not good at it at all. I am placing the song in this fic because it sort of matches the character's inner thoughts. In this fic, the song is actually played and the character is actually listening to and _singing_ with it. Yes, you read that right. It gets really weird! I am using a lesser-known song and, well I am really a big fan of this music group. The song is entitled **_Return to Innocence_ **performed by **Enigma** written by Curly M.C. It is from the CD **_The Cross of Changes_**.

****

This story takes place in Season 01; HOURS before the DigiDestined arrive in the Digital World. The first day trip to summer camp. No plot, no action, just a lot, I do mean a LOT, of dialogue. It is just a continuation from Mimi's POV.

****

Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon, Sailor Moon, Matrix, Star Wars, or Enigma, or their songs. Don't sue. If you want my money: Promise us Season 03; find a way to continue the Moon series; make a Neo sequel ASAP; get Episode II out ASAP; and release another album PRONTO!

Persona: Return to Innocence

by Mimi, Myself, & Iz.

__

I look into the mirror

See myself, I'm over me

I need space for my desires

Have to dive into my fantasies

I know as soon as I'll arrive

Everything is possible

Cause no one has to hide

Beyond the invisible

Close your eyes

Just feel and realize

It is real and not a dream

I'm in you and you're in me

It is time

To break the chains of life

If you follow you will see

What's beyond reality

Excerpts from the song _Beyond The Invisible_

By Michael Cretu & David David Fairstein

__

Le Roi Est Mort, Vive le Roi

Enigma

~~~

The reflection I see now…

__

There are times I question myself.

Having a family that cares deeply for me.

Gifts they give.

Asking nothing in return.

Only my love.

I have all these possessions.

But what do I truly possess?

What I might have been.

If it were different…

Not saying that I am self-centered.

Not Selfish.

Nor am I ungrateful.

If it were different…

What would I be?

Would I be the same?

Would I be different?

Would I be nothing?

__

Would I have been given the chance?

A need for self-actualization.

A desire to grow.

To be allowed to grow.

To be loved and not be alone.

To be safe.

To be a survivor.

__

To the family I will never know.

__

One day, I must stand and face the unknown.

Make a decision on my own.

Believe in myself.

Follow my own path.

Find my true destiny.

Without my family.

Without these material possessions.

No masks to hide behind.

Only myself.

Afraid to show weakness.

Too proud to show strength.

Friendship… isolation.

Knowledge… ignorance.

Joy… sadness.

Heart… cruelty.

Sincerity… lies.

Love… hate.

Purity… poisoned.

Hope… despair.

Finding the light out of darkness.

So many things…

What will I find?

Would I like what I see?

The harsh reality?

My true self.

Excerpts from a forgotten song…

by Mimi Tachikawa

~~~

August 1999

The Tachikawa Residence…

"Goodbye, my Princess. See you back in about a month." We released ourselves from our embrace. My Father placed one final kiss on my forehead. He then goes to my baby brother who was in my Mother's arms and gave him a quick kiss on his forehead. "Take care, my little Iron Man." I was not sure if my baby brother understood any of this, as usual he was just laughing, smiling, making those cute baby sounds. My Father then gave my Mother a kiss on the lips and said to her, "See to it that our daughter gets there safe and sound, honey."

"Of course, dear," my Mother replied and gave him a kiss in return.

"Goodbye, honey! Goodbye, Tetsuo! Goodbye, Mimi! Have fun!" He then proceeded to the garage. "Mimi! Remember to write home, e-mail, call, and so forth."

"I will, Father," I said as he opened the car door of his black 1998 Volkswagen Passat GLS.

"SAYONARA!" my Mother and I said to my Father as we waved goodbye.

"Sayonara!" he replied waving. He finally got into his car. He started the ignition and drove the car out of the garage and into the driveway. He continued waving to us from inside the car, as he continued onto the street and drove away…

"Come on, dear. Let's get your stuff ready," my Mother finally said to me.

"Okay, Mother. I already packed most of my luggage last night. I just want to make sure I have everything, plus my purse."

"Very good, honey."

We both turned towards the house. I felt something cold land on my nose. It felt cold as ice or… snow? I looked at the sky to check the weather. It was a clear and sunny morning sky. _'Strange.'_

"Is something wrong, honey?"

"No, nothing, Mother," I replied as I followed her and my brother into the house.

~~~

15 minutes later…

After taking a quick bath, I quickly dressed in my favorite dark pink dress, designed by my Mother. It was a very durable dress that was suitable for outdoor activities in hot or cool climates. It was incredibly rugged, yet still yielded a high level of comfort. My Mother came from a family that has strong ties in the military as well as fashion. She wanted me to have a dress that was as tough as if it was an actual government-issue uniform, but at least showed off some of my "girlish beauty," as she puts it.

The durable material was made from ProDura cloth similar to that used in military battle dress uniforms. Originally khaki in color, the material was dyed dark pink. It was 65% polyester and 35% combed cotton blend. The skirt as well as the storm cape had a ripstop weave and were practically tear resistant. A large dark brown leather belt with a stainless steel buckle that hugs the waistline finishes the ensemble. I got to admit my Mother has done a magnificent job. This dress for some odd reason goes well with my new pink sun hat. _'That is my Mother for you…'_

I decided to double-check my pink Samsonite suitcase to see if all my belongings I wanted to bring to summer camp were accounted for. I placed the pink suitcase on my bed and opened the combination lock. I opened the case and quickly glanced at each item. "Okay. All of my clothes are folded and packed… with an extra blanket, bath towels, toothbrush, toothpaste, mouthwash, dental floss, bath soap, shampoo, conditioner, hair brush, hair pins, q-tips…"

I continued checking the final contents of my luggage until I was satisfied I had brought everything. "Right! All done!" I said as I shut the pink luggage case closed and tumbled the combination lock. I brought the suitcase outside my bedroom door so I can take it downstairs later_. 'Oh, this thing is a little heavy, but I can manage… no… problem… yes… no… no… no problem.'_ I finally got my suitcase out of my bedroom door.

"Now one more thing… My special purse." I took out my beloved large khaki purse from my closet. It was a gift from my Great Grandfather who lives in the United Sates. He resides in the State of Hawaii. The _Big Island_ of Hawaii to be precise. He was from my Mother's side. He is ninety-two years young and still going strong!

My Great Grandfather was a war veteran that fought in World War II. He was part of the Japanese-American Soldiers that served during World War II known famously as the 442nd Regimental Combat Team. I believed his country will be awarding him the Congressional Medal of Honor next year, their country's most prestigious and honorable award.

The Japanese-American citizens, or Nisei, of that time still faced racial prejudice in the United States, I was told. Still above all, high-ranking officers regarded the Nisei Soldiers as the best assault troops in the Army. The 100th Infantry Battalion of the 442nd fought bravely, but suffered many wounds and casualties in major campaigns. They were nicknamed "the Purple Heart Battalion." During that time of 1946, their President, Harry S. Truman, addressed the 100th Infantry Battalion… "You fought not only the enemy, but you fought prejudice—and you have won." _(From the article: http://www.thehistorynet.com/WorldWarII/articles/07965_text.htm)_

I was very moved by the life of my Great Grandfather in America. I still despised any type of fighting now after experiencing what I was capable of in my early preadolescence years. But I knew importantly that it was the call of duty to serve one's country. My Mother told me that my Grandfather, _her_ Father, always loved his American Father. Despite my Grandfather and Great Grandfather being torn apart by warring nations, they always loved each other deeply and has so ever since. They were after all family.

Right now, my Great Grandfather owned and operated a humble government surplus store with all these neat military gear. On his visit here two years ago in July, he gave me some gifts including this special purse. He said it was a special range gear bag once a standard military issue used in the German military. He told me the German name for it, but I could not pronounce it right. The German language was even more confusing than English! I just called it my purse.

The purse was designed with efficient amount of cubic space. It was made out of 1,000-denier khaki colored water-repelling nylon with quilted ripstop lining. When worn, it hung very comfortably around my shoulder and waist. My Great Grandfather soon realized that I had a fondness for anything pink and he said he should have dyed my purse pink. I said it was not necessary. I loved it the way it was. It was a really great gift. I took it with me many times when traveling. In fact, this khaki color matched with everything I wore.

"Now to pack my purse!"

I brought out my army issue footlocker from the closet. The footlocker was another gift from my Great Grandfather which he occasionally ships new things to me every so often. I unlocked the combination lock and opened the locker. I then took out various items I would definitely need at camp and laid them out one by one…

SAS combat survival tin… trioxane cooking fuel… magnesium firestarter… lifeboat survival matches… one MRE entrée… mess kit… a little first aid kit… flashlight… snaplight sticks… sunscreen… insect repellent… a candle… Ray-Ban Predator II sunglasses with case… some towels… soap… hand sanitizer… facial issue… a roll of white bathroom tissue, just in case…

'_Hmmm… What else might I need? Oh, yes! It is here somewhere…'_ I looked further within the footlocker and found the item I was looking for. "Ah ha! My Swiss Army Knife!" _'_ It was a very handy tool to have on any trip. It was another gift from my Great Grandfather, which I loved referring to it as _'the knife with all the things.'_

I continued looking through the footlocker and came across my Casio T3 Triple Sensor watch. This watch was a gift from my Mother. She knew her survival stuff too. It was a multi-functional timepiece that had a digital compass; altimeter; barometer; thermometer; auto light feature; and _DUH_ a timekeeper with auto-calendar, alarms, and stopwatch. It had a leather band and a watch face that activates the light when pressed. I decided to wear it on my right wrist.

I checked the footlocker again for anything else I might need. I came across an old antique GI field compass with tritium illumination. It was rather old in design but functioned perfectly. Compared to my high-tech watch, this compass pales in comparison. My Casio makes this compass look like an old watch with all the numbers melted off. Well, I might need it any ways. I placed it in my purse. I closed the footlocker and locked it. I placed it back in my closet.

One more thing… I put my little makeup kit in my purse. I hated makeup. It was not that I really needed to put on makeup. My Mother told me to at least dabble in it a bit. Maybe when I am older I would have such interest in it, but not now. I am still young. Still, my friends are crazy about using make up. They said it enhances any girl's beauty. _'I am sorry, but I do not really see it.'_

I was all set. I closed my purse and placed it beside my pink suitcase. I then went to the dresser to take out my pair of light brown GI gloves with GORE-TEX fabric, a gift from my Father. They were very comfortable being both waterproof and breathable with insulated lining. My only gripe about these gloves was that the color does not really go well with anything I wear. Well, that should not matter. They said we needed gloves so… gloves are gloves.

Next, I put on a pair of cushion sole socks that were dyed pink. They were extremely comfortable and pretty stylish! I may have tender feet, but these socks help a lot. My pair of white-accented steel-toe Matterhorn Ranger Boots were downstairs waiting by the door. My mother already aired them out. Despite the tough military issue footwear, I hope I still do not have to do TOO much hiking. I really get annoyed from excessive walking without any direction.

Last but not least, my pink hat. It was about two years ago that I gave up wearing these large sun hats. Especially when the old ones no longer fit me anymore. I thought it made me look like those American rodeo clowns. I usually rather wear my dark raspberry beret when I wore my dark pink dress. But I guess this hat still matches me in nice sort of way. I put the hat on. I look at myself in the mirror again with the pink hat on…

__

Pink, pink, pink, pink, pink...

I still have a love/hate relationship with that color. I looked at the pink walls of my bedroom. They were painted pink as a little gift from my parents on my ninth birthday. Well, I guess I can still live with pink. It calms me down when I am in a bad mood. Especially last night, it calmed me down from my paranoia!

__

Pink, pink, pink, pink, pink...

In school, I became synonymous with the color pink. I used to care about the latest fashions and sorts, but now I do not care. I just dress the way I want to now. This was my style that no one else would have. Somehow my friends misinterpreted this and did something that I would always regret ever happened.

About a year ago at school, there was one new girl that came to her first day at school dressed totally in pink. What I found out later was that her hair was pink too. When I was not around, my friends picked on her and said that only I could dress totally in pink. I really felt bad when I heard about it later. I finally found the girl. She was really depressed. I apologized to her about my rude friends. I told my friends to apologize to her as well. My friends did so. I felt that my friends were not being sincere with their apology, but at least they did apologize.

The girl's name was Usagi... Chiba-Tsukino, Usagi. She was just nine years old. My friends even made fun of her pink hairstyle. Something what I could describe was that it looked like a pair of odangos, rabbit ears, and a flamingo. In my honest opinion, her hairstyle looked really cute on her. I was wondering how her parents allowed her to dye her hair to look pink, being that young too. When I asked her about that, she just looked at me innocently and said that it was always pink. Not to appear rude, I just took one quick side-glance at her hair. It was strange. The pink seemed to go right to the scalp… to the roots! Genetics?

Well, that was not really important. Everything turned out for the better. She accepted our apologies. We quickly became great friends. I also accepted her to be with our group of friends, despite sensing my other friends' silent protests. Soon after a month, Usagi had to transfer to another school in Tokyo. I bided her farewell. I sensed that she would become someone of great importance someday. My friends just said good riddance. _'Why do I put up with them anymore?'_

__

Pink, pink, pink, pink, pink...

I wonder what I would look like if I just dyed my hair pink. Pink like Usagi's. I have seen some fashion models color their hair too. It has been a trend now in Japan pop culture. Maybe I should also cut my hair a little shorter as well. How would I look? Should I do it?

__

Pink...

__

Pink...

__

Pink...

__

Pink...

__

Pink...

"NAAAAHHHHHHHH!" That would be totally ridiculous! No logic in doing so! No way! This is MY hair given to ME by MY Mother and Father! Why would I ruin it with the color pink? The Fashion Police would arrest me! The local government would have me deported to another country!

I sighed. Still… It would be funny if I did dye my hair pink. I smirked as I thought of another fashion inspiration. Maybe I could put little flashy star clips in my hair as well. Now THAT would be funny!

__

'Aside from the color pink, I often wondered how I would be if I went Gothic…'

~~~

5 minutes…

I was at my bedroom desk. I opened one of the drawers and looked at its contents. I knew I should leave it but… Just one last look at my pink Pineapple NAVI laptop, which my friends nicknamed it _'the Strawberry.'_ I took it out and opened it. The desktop came alive. I entered my login name and password. Instantly it notified me that I had e-mail. I sighed, _'Great, I already finished replying to my friends' e-mails and deleted all the junk mail! Not to mention getting the shhhh…shi… POOP scared out of me from last night!'_

It better not be from my friends. They should already know what was happening today within just a few hours. If it was from my other associates regarding that ridiculous cheerleading camp, forget it! I really hate it when they want me to join in being a cheerleader! No way in a million years!

I clicked on the mailbox icon. All I had was one e-mail. I checked the address. It was flashing! I read it and noticed it was from Gennai@file.com, the same person! _'Oh no, not again!'_ Curiosity got the better of me and I opened the mail… It was blank. _'Figures.'_

I was about to delete it when I noticed the scroll bar in the window of the supposedly blank e-mail. _'Wait, there is something more to it. Was the scroll bar there the first time I received e-mail from this person? I did not check.'_ Seeing the scroll bar meant that there might be more text further down. I then moved the mouse pointer on the scroll bar and proceeded to scroll further. I expected to find nothing, but then I was surprised to see a message there. It read:

__

Palms read…

…follow the pineapple

I blinked… I read the message again… and again… I sat back… "You have got to be kidding me," I muttered to myself. It has to be a joke_. 'With all the junk e-mails I get swamped with, this comes up!'_ I was contemplating whether I should send an e-mail reply to who ever sent it. I know my Father said not to trust strange e-mail… Forget it. I just saved it in my Personal directory.

__

'Follow the pineapple… Ha! My laptop is working fine, thank you. Follow the Strawberry is more like it!'

I shut the power off on my pink laptop and placed it back in the desk drawer. No way am I taking that along. It was too big to fit in my already filled purse any ways. Well, my Father did want me to e-mail home once in awhile. All I had left was my Sony PalmNAVe computer.

The PalmNAVe was a gift I got this last Christmas. Unlike the large _Strawberry_, this little machine was almost less than half the size and fits in my palm. It performed just as well as the laptop, maybe even better. It mainly functioned as my organizer. The coolest thing about this little device was that it was still in its original black metallic casing. No pink!

My PalmNAVe was truly top-of-the-line and state-of-the-art. It had a high-resolution color display; compact but very functional folding keyboard; full compatibility with all of my Sony NAVtop PC functions; Internet capabilities; GPS capabilities; sixty-four megabytes Sync DRAM; MP3 player; power cell with recharger; several expansion ports; interface unit; and a pen input device.

I activated the PalmNAVe and checked my personal documents. Among the files, I kept a copy of my biological family's photograph. It was a scanned from the original inside my pendant. I thought I could use the PhotoEditor to at least enhance the damaged portions to have a better picture. It proved impossible. For some strange reason, the picture could not be enhanced or even altered. The picture was probably too small to begin with to get an enhanced resolution. All I could do was do a fuzzy pixel blow up. It was good enough.

Okay, the camp counselors said no compact disk players, radios, cassette players, NeoGeo Pockets, or Gameboys on the campgrounds. They said nothing about actual laptop computers and sorts. Those rules were much too out of date, lucky for me. I have an MP3 player on my PalmNAVe! I can download new music and listen to them whenever I wanted to. I checked the existing playlist and saw that I had 64 songs listed…

1. _Orinoco Flow_ by Enya

2. _Delirium_ by Karma

3. _Recitativo: O Freunde, nicht diese Töne!_ by Beethoven

4…

…

44. _Crisis_ by Kodomo

45. _Walking After You _by Foo Fighters

46. _Return to Innocence_ by Enigma

47. _Silk_…

I stopped and looked at song 46. _'Return to Innocence.'_ It was a song by the international music group Enigma. It was a song I really loved long ago. I still love it now. Now that I knew the English language, I love it even more. I am not fluent yet, but I can still translate the English sentences into Japanese. Once I am fluent in English, I plan to learn German, French, and Spanish languages. Maybe I might want to learn Hawaiian. Who knows? It might come in handy when I can finally visit my Great Grandfather.

I know like with all of the United States, English is the dominant language spoken in the State of Hawaii. It was just that we could see all of the wonderful sites of the Hawaiian Islands and understand some of the ancient native culture and history as well. Maybe I can learn to surf… _REAL SURFING!_

I pressed the play button and the MP3 player played the selected song 46…

The music begins with a strange yet melodic chant-like verse that was done by a male vocalist. When I asked my music teacher about this chant-like verse two years ago, he said it was called an _Ami_ chant which originated from an Ami and Japanese only speaking Taiwanese county of Taitung. It traces back to cultural traditions that are still celebrated today through annual harvest festivals.

From what my music teacher has said, there were no lyrics for the Ami chant. The actual title of the Ami chant sung in _Return to Innocence_ was called _Song of Joy_.

As the Ami chant of _Song of Joy_ fades out as an echo, a soft female voice speaks the following as a poem…

__

That's not the beginning of the end

That's the return to yourself

The return to innocence.

Love… Devotion

Feeling… Emotion

Then the music finally picks up with a nice soothing melody and a nice light beat. A male vocalist sings the following. Amazingly I found myself singing with it…

__

Love… Devotion…

Feeling… Emotion…

__

Don't be afraid to be weak

Don't be too proud to be strong

Just look into your heart my friend

That will be the return to yourself

The return to innocence

The part with the Ami chant begins again. I felt very drawn to it. I did not know if I was singing it right. I meant no disrespect to the language or culture, but I wanted to join in the singing. I sang with my heart…

Then the song continues…

__

If you want, then start to laugh

If you must, then start to cry

Be yourself don't hide

Just believe in destiny

__

Don't care what people say

Just follow your own way

Don't give up and use the chance

To return to innocence

The Ami chant begins again…

Then a female voice spoke the following like a poem…

__

That's not the beginning of the end

That's the return to yourself

The return to innocence

The song continues with a very hauntingly but still soothing keyboard solo…

The Ami chant begins again…

The song then ends with the female voice…

__

Don't care what people say

Follow just your own way

Follow just your own way

Don't give up, don't give up

To return, to return to innocence.

If you want then laugh

If you must then cry

Be yourself don't hide

Just believe in destiny…

I closed the MP3 player and placed the PalmNAVe down on the desk. Just then I heard a clapping noise coming from my behind me. Startled, I looked and saw my Mother at the doorway applauding.

"That was beautiful, Mimi!" she said.

"Um, thank you Mother," I blushed.

"You always did have a voice. That was a nice sounding song too, Mimi. What was it called?" she asked as she stopped clapping. She then walked in and stood beside me by my bedroom desk.

"It is an old song called _Return to Innocence_," I replied.

"It was really beautiful, Mimi. I think I understand some of the lyrics… English right?" she said.

"Yes, Mother."

"Why did you pick that particular song, Mimi?"

"Excuse me, Mother?"

"You sang that song with your heart. I know so. Why did you pick that song, dear?"

I finally realized why she was asking me this question. _'Huh, why did I pick it? I did not know for sure. Was it because of how I felt about myself? How I felt how others would see me? Or how I want them to see me? I still do not know…'_

"Well?"

"Um, I wanted to test if the MP3 player still worked?" I lied. I knew it was more than that.

My Mother gave me a look that she knew I was not being honest. "I see." She shook her head and said, "You don't have to say anything about it, Mimi." She walked close to me and gave me a kiss on the cheek. She then whispered to me, _"Remember to always look into your heart… Be true to yourself."_

__

"Thank you, Mother. I will always remember," I replied softly with a smile.

My mother kissed my again. She walked out of my bedroom and waited in the hallway.

I closed the PalmNAVe to shut it off. I walked out of my bedroom door to where my suitcase and purse lay. I placed the PalmNAVe in my purse. I took one look back at my pink bedroom. One month. I was going to miss this room. I would miss my beloved Sony NAVtop PC in the adjoining room. However, I might not miss the pink painted walls though.

"Ready to go, dear?" my Mother asked.

Before answering, I had one final thing I needed to check. I made a quick feel for my pendant around my neck. It was hidden behind the collar of my dress. I turned to face my Mother with a smile and said, "Yes, I am ready, Mother."

He expression changes all of a sudden… "Okay, which car?" she asks excitedly.

Oh no! I hate it when she gives me a choice on the three remaining family cars. She always thought I still liked her car. "Um… the one that does not look like…" I could not even finish. As I was about to grab my suitcase and purse, my mother effortlessly grabs and lifts both of them with her left hand.

"THE TACHIKAWA MOBILE IT IS!" my Mother yelled with her right hand in the air and her index finger pointed to the sky.

I sweat dropped, as I stood there stunned. I could have sworn I saw our old flag representation of the rising sun behind her for a brief second. Also a Noh chant, a few plucks from a koto, and then a single loud taiko drum hit was briefly heard. I must be losing it…

To be continued...


	4. Entlarven

****

Author's Note: First off, I would like to thank everyone that reviewed my last story, _Persona: Return to Innocence._ The overall story now involves Digimon and a bit of Star Wars. **As usual: Really goofy dialogue, poor vocabulary, poor spelling, poor grammar, poor verb tense, and all that**. Reviews are welcomed.** This is a work in progress that requires A LOT of work.**

In my story, all of the DigiDestined are from different schools, except Sora, Taichi, and Koushiro. I have made some of them older than in the original series: Jyou is 14; Taichi, Sora, and Yamato are 13; Mimi and Koushiro are both 12; Takeru is 9; and Hikari (not present) is also 9. The age change was done for a reason. Don't ask me if they still allow kids to go to summer camp at that age. Let's just assume the older kids offer help as assistant counselors.

****

Important Note: If there is anything in this story that resembles anyone else's work, I apologize. Now I am trying to continue on as I strive for originality. As usual, my work pales in comparison to the other great work done by much better authors. The song in the beginning of this fic is called **_Push the Limits_** by **_Enigma_**.

****

*_Entlarven_ is German for _unmask_ or to reveal the true identity or nature of oneself or someone else.

****

This story takes place in Season 01; HOURS before the DigiDestined arrive in the Digital World. The first day trip to summer camp. No action, just a lot, I do mean a LOT, of dialogue. A continuation from Mimi's POV.

****

Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon, Star Wars, Enigma, or their songs.

****

Persona: Entlarven

by Mimi, Myself, & Iz.

__

Basic instincts, social life.

Paradoxes side by side

__

Don't submit to stupid rules

Be yourself and not a fool.

Don't accept average habits

Open your heart and push the limits.

__

Open your heart

And push the limits

Excerpts from the song _Push the Limits_

By Michael Cretu

__

Screen Behind the Mirror

Enigma

~~~

****

August 1999

Streets of Odaiba…

Several blares of car horns…

Occasional tire screeches…

A few obscenities exchanged… I dare not to repeat…

The car stereo playing the _Allegro con fuoco_ movement of Antonín Dvorák's Symphony No. 9 in E minor, Opus 95 _"Aus der Neuen Welt: From the New World"_

I was in the front passenger seat. My brother was in a child car safety seat fastened securely to the car seats behind me. My Mother was behind the wheel. The streets of Odaiba made way for the blood red colored 1999 Chrysler PT Cruiser with the crew of three. The Cruiser's license plate read in Romaji…

A B U N A I

Yes, the _Tachikawa Mobile_ was on the move!

__

…Largo…

"Um, excuse me, Mother…"

__

…Scherzo. Molto vivace…

"Mother? Hey! Excuse me!"

…_Allegro con fuoco…_

"EXCUSE ME! HEY, MOTHER!" I had to yell.

Finally, I got her attention… "YES, DEAR?" my Mother yelled, oblivious as to why she had to yell. She never left her eyes off the road, thank goodness.

"I THINK THE CAR STEREO IS TOO LOUD!" I practically screamed.

"WHAT, DEAR?"

"LOUD!"

"OH, YOU MEAN THE STEREO IS 'LOUD,' HONEY?"

I could not believe she actually said that… Sarcastically, I finally yelled. "WELL, MAYBE JUST A LITTLE!"

"OKAY, DEAR!" My Mother finally touched the volume control and the decibel levels dropped. "Sorry, about that, honey. I just love Dvorák! I thought you love his work too, dear?"

I breathed a sigh of relief. "It is all right, Mother. I DO love Dvorák's work, but… NOT THAT LOUD!"

"Sorreee…" my Mother replied jokingly. I hate to admit it, but only my Mother could operate that stereo. She totally customized the whole sound system in her car and only she knows how to operate all of it. It was probably the only electronic equipment we own that I could not even figure out.

I decided to check on my little brother behind me. I turned to look around my seat. Sure enough Tetsuo was enjoying himself as usual in his child safety seat. He was laughing and smiled back at me. He must have thought all of our yelling was hilarious. Not to mention, the car stereo was at full blast! I turned back to my Mother. "Sheesh, Mother! You might have made Tetsuo deaf!"

"Not a chance, dear. I made sure that only the driver and passenger speaker systems were on. I turned on the rear sound filter system, which filters out only the music. The back passenger seats should have been quieter. The music should be soft when heard in the back. Tetsuo's fine," my Mother said with a bright grin.

Now I kind of wished I were in a child seat with Tetsuo. "That is good to… hear," I said, barely realizing the pun.

My mother giggled. "Of course, honey."

I shook my head in defeat and let her continue driving. I really hated to ride in this car. It was bad enough it was a foreign car. The body of the Chrysler PT Cruiser looked weird! The design reminded me of some gangster car from the early century of the United States of America. To top it all off, it was colored blood red! My friends like this car for some odd reason. Maybe because it was a foreign car. Like, you cannot get any foreign than this! Still it was an efficient car, with great gas mileage, comfortable passenger room, efficient environmental systems, and excellent handling on the road. Need I mention the car stereo?

Well, it could have been different. My mother would have gotten an even bigger foreign car, if you could call it a car. Before my Mother decided to own the Cruiser, my Father proposed that my Mother's car should have been a High Mobility Multi-Purpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV) or Humvee. My Father always thought it would be great since my Mother's family side had a long history with the military life. Still, my Mother decided not to get a Hummer, as civilians referred it to, for various reasons I had to agree with. I thanked her for that. I do not think it would ever fit in the garage. I am not sure if that Hummer vehicle was even legal on Japan streets. Especially how my Mother drives…

__

VROOOOOOMMM!

A loud engine revving sound distracted me from my thoughts. I looked through the windshield and noticed we were speeding and swerving along the streets a bit more excessive now. I had to admit that the suspension of the Cruiser was amazing! It was a totally smooth ride. No tire screeches, banking turns... I would not have noticed the wild driving of my Mother if I did not look out the windshield at the dizzying scene. If it were any other car, I would have been thrown from my seat and would be vomiting from the vertigo! My Mother had maneuvered the Cruiser quickly through the morning traffic just avoiding the car in front of… _'WHOA! I CANNOT BELIEVE WE JUST MISSED HITTING THAT MAZDA MIATA!'_

"Slow poke _baka_…" I heard my Mother mutter under her breath, her face in a scowl.

"Um, Mother?"

My Mother's usual cheerfulness quickly returns to her face. "Yes, dear?"

"Do we need to be going this fast?" I asked, as I made sure I was securely fastened to my seat.

"We don't want you to be late, dear," she replied with a smile. She quickly dodged another vehicle…

"Yes, but… I am not late. And this is getting a bit dangerous..." I said as my hand gripped my safety seatbelt, making sure there was no slack.

"Not to worry, dear. Remember, I'm an EXPERT driver!"

I groaned in weariness. I did not care if Mother heard me or not. _'Oh no. Here we go…'_

My Mother took a deep breath and then spoke. "Three years of top training in the Tokyo racing championships… I came in on top! Also, two years in civilian dragster racing… No relation in car driving, but I made third in the high powered speedboat racing… Made champion in the burnout speed bike run…" Her right hand was still on the wheel as she used her left hand to count. I thought she was finished until... "OH YES! I should also mention that I was the only teen player to have the best finishing time in _Ridge Racer_ history!" My Mother patted my lap with her free hand in pride as she said the latter.

Fear started to creep within me. "But, Mother! _Ridge Racer_ was just an arcade game! A classic video game I might add! What does that have to do with your driving?"

"What's the difference? It sure helped me become top student in the Tokyo race training!" said with a huge smile on her face.

I sweat dropped… My Mother sure had an ego. I remembered my Mother promising to my Father that I would make it to the bus depot safe and sound. Oh well. I do have to admit that my Mother knows how to drive… well. Never a dent, crack, scrape, or ding on any of her previous cars. I do not know if I should take comfort in that. When other drivers see this blood red foreign car careening through traffic with license plates that had "ABUNAI" on it, I am sure they would stay clear away. I hope for their sake they do. All I could do was hold on tight. My brother's life and I were now in our Mother's trustworthy hands.

All of a sudden, Mother added, "Besides, your brother loves my driving." She looked through one of the rear-view mirrors so that she could see Tetsuo. "Right, Iron Man?" she asked him through his reflection.

I turned to face Tetsuo again. Luckily he was the only one in the car that had a better safety belt than my Mother and I. I saw that he too had a huge smile on his face. What dreaded me most was that he was pretending as if he was actually steering a steering wheel! He was imitating every move my Mother made! I sweat dropped… _'Oh sh-'_

"Beep-beep!" he said as he smiled at me.

I heard my Mother laughed and she tapped the car horn twice…

__

BEEP… BEEP…

This brought a bigger smile to my brother's face.

My face faulted. "Some help you are, Tetsuo." I sighed.

~~~

****

3 minutes later…

Finally, Dvorák's Symphony No. 9 ends…

I sighed. _'Aus der Neuen Welt… My Mother and her liking to all genres of music… in no particular order! From classical, to heavy metal, to hip-hop, to new age, then swing, then back again! She burned this CD. I wonder what else is on it…'_

The car stereo started to change to another track… Now the music of Nobuo Uematsu's _Liberi Fatali_ movement from the _Final Fantasy VIII_ soundtrack filled my ears…

__

'Oh no…'

__

FITHOS… LUSEC…

…WECOS… VINOSEC

The choir continued to chant the eerie lyrics as a full orchestra accompanied soon after… I stared in disbelief as my Mother drummed her hands on the steering wheel in rhythm with the timpani sounds from _Liberi Fatali_. I slowly turned my head to look out my window in weariness. _'Yes, I am DEFINITELY relieved my Mother turned down the idea of her car being a Humvee!'_

~~~

****

5 minutes later…

Odaiba Bus Depot

__

'Finally, safe and sound!'

I could see four buses and some other children around the main terminal. Relieved that I was not late, I walked over to the back of the Cruiser and pulled out my pink suitcase. I already had my purse hung around my shoulders. I was ready to leave. I stood outside by the driver side door facing my Mother. It was time to say goodbye to my Mother and Tetsuo.

"Got everything?" my Mother asked.

"Yes, Mother."

"You have fun now, my Princess, you hear?" she said.

"I will, Mother."

"Stay close to your friends!"

"I will, Mo-"

"Be sure to make new friends!"

"Of course, M-"

"Don't lose anything!"

"I wo-"

"Don't get hurt!"

"Ne-"

"Don't forget to wash your clothes with-"

"OKAY! OKAY! Mother!" I cried helplessly.

My Mother sighed… She shook her head and smiled at me. "I'm sorry, dear. You're such a big girl now. I keep forgetting how fast you've grown."

I felt guilty too and I smiled at her. "Thank you for caring, Mother." I gave her a kiss on the cheek. "You take care of Tetsuo and Father, okay?"

"Of course, dear," my Mother replied and gave me a kiss in return.

I looked at my baby brother in the back seat. He seemed sad like he knew I was leaving. I opened the side door and gave him a light hug. He amazingly hugged me back. I smiled and gave him a kiss on the forehead. "Now, YOU take of Mother and Father. Okay, my little Iron Man? Goodbye, Tetsuo…"

Tetsuo smiled at me. The then made some baby sounds… or so I believed were baby sounds. "Bye… bye… Mimi… love… you…" Tetsuo spoke. He spoke his first sentence! It was very slow but absolutely clear!

"Tetsuo dear?" I heard my Mother say in a very surprised voice.

After regaining from my shock, I hugged him with all my love…

"Oh, Tetsuo, my little brother… I love you too."

~~~

****

3 minutes later…

As I made my way to the group of buses, I gave one last look back at my Mother's Cruiser. I noticed she was gesturing at me. I could not make out what since the driver's side windows were tinted and were rolled up. She had her left-hand palm faced up. Her right hand with the palm faced down was doing a sweeping motion over the left. The left hand was stationary while her right hand was doing the motion. She repeated this gesture a few times then she pointed down.

I could not figure out what she was trying to tell me. I knew I did not forget anything, and I felt that I was late so I just waved at her. She just gave me a shrug and waved back at me. She turned the Cruiser onto the highway and was about to drive off. _'Hmmm. Whatever she wanted to tell me, it was not important.'_ As I watched my Mother drive away, I could distinctly hear John Williams's _Duel of Fates_ movement from the _Phantom Menace_ soundtrack blaring within the Cruiser's interior.

I could not help but laugh. _'Hmmm… I think I have that title stored in my MP3 directory of my Sony PalmNAVe,'_ I thought as I patted the little box-like bulge on my purse. I turned back towards the buses and continued on. I was whistling the _Duel of Fates_ along the way...

My suitcase was feeling heavier and heavier as I walked, but I paced myself so it would not be a problem. I saw the four large buses that would take everyone to the summer campsite in the mountainsides overlooking Odaiba. Actually they were four large luxury-touring coaches! _'Wow! We are traveling in style!'_ I passed a few coaches and saw that they were already filled. I saw a little line of fellow campers at one of the tour coaches. As I approached the tour coach, I peered through the large tinted panoramic windows and saw that it was not completely filled.

An adult male was at the door of the tour coach. He had a sticker name tag on his shirt pocket that had, "Konnichi wa, my name is Fujiyama, Kenji," written in a black felt-tip pen. He was a very large man with short black hair and rectangular shaped glasses. He was wearing blue slacks and an aquamarine blue polo shirt, with the Odaiba Summer Camp logo printed on his right chest side. Mr. Fujiyama was carrying a pen and a paper list of several pages. He just finished talking to a tall boy with large thick-framed glasses and dark blue looking hair.

The tall boy was dressed in an off-white sleeveless V-neck sweater with dark blue trims. He wore a light lavender short-sleeved dress shirt underneath. He also wore olive drab shorts. A pair of red Rocky Alpine shoes with white trim and dark blue socks adorned his feet. He was wearing a light yellow sweatband on his right wrist. On his left wrist was what appeared to be a titanium field watch with an olive drab nylon watchband covering. _'What a strange way to dress.'_ I thought. _'Well, I should not be rude. He does look kind of cute dressed like that.'_ He then placed his suitcase in the under-floor luggage bay then walked back toward the tour coach entrance. He glanced at me briefly with his glasses falling off his nose, a look of seriousness plastered on his face. He pushed his glasses up with his index finger on the nose-bridge and turned back toward the man. The tall boy then bowed to the man and proceeded onto the entrance door.

As the tall boy made his way inside of the tour coach, the man, Mr. Fujiyama, greeted me and bowed. "Konnichi wa, young miss. What is your name?"

"Konnichi wa, Sensei. My name is Mimi. Tachikawa, Mimi." I replied and bowed.

He turned to his paper list and scanned all the names. "Tachikawa… Mimi… Ah yes, right here." He looked at me and said, "Okay, Miss Tachikawa. If you have any friends you want to be with, you might have to wait until we finally arrive at camp. They might have already checked in earlier in the other buses. The other three buses all already filled with kids from different schools of town. This one here still has plenty of empty seats."

I glanced at the coach's large tinted panoramic windows and immediately saw three of my friends from my school, Hoshi, Kyoko, and Noriko. They waved at me. I gave them a quick smile and waved back. I turned my attention back to Mr. Fujiyama. "That will be fine, Sensei. I see my friends already on board this bus. Thank you, Sensei," I replied and bowed.

"Call me, Kenji, Miss. Tachikawa." He returned my bow.

All I could do was bow and politely let out a giggle.

"You may put your luggage in the that side luggage bay there. If you want you can take your bag on the bus. There is an overhead compartment to put it in if you need room."

"Okay, thank you," I replied. I walked to the under-floor luggage compartment and carefully stacked my pink suitcase inside among the other fellow campers' belongings. I stretched my fingers in relief from after carrying the weight of that heavy suitcase. It was then that I noticed very small wheels on each of the corners on the bottom of my suitcase. They slowly retracted into my suitcase bottom hatch. The hatch clicked shut. The wheels must have been spring-activated from somewhere on the suitcase handle. It then dawned on me what my Mother was trying to tell me. _'My suitcase had automatic retractable wheels, and could roll!'_ I sighed. _'I should have known…'_

"That is a pretty hat you are wearing, Miss Tachikawa."

Mr. Fujiyama's little compliment interrupted me from my reverie. "Thank you… Kenji, Sensei." I giggled.

"All rightly, Miss Tachikawa. All aboard!"

I gave him a quick smile and entered the tour coach. I made my way up the stairwell. I have not ridden in a bus in a long time. This was definitely very superior to the school buses I have seen other children ride at school. I must say this was really a luxury-tour coach. Luxurious high back recliner seating, carpet on side walls and fabric on ceiling, parcel racks with reading lights and adjustable air conditioning and heating, also parcel rack door enclosures in the ceilings above the seats. It had the capacity to seat up to 45 passengers. In the back I could see the lavatory! _'Wow! A restroom! Still, I hope I do not have to use it though. Who knows how many people already sat on that thing! Should be clean though. This was a luxury tour coach after all.'_

I could see my friends in the seventh and eighth row waving at me. I started to walk toward them. I passed one row of seats and saw this boy with really messy hair seated by the window. He wore a blue T-shirt with an orange star on the front area and smaller stars ones on the sleeves. He wore dark brown cargo shorts. White light-duty Flexor gloves covered his hands. For footwear he wore a pair of old Bates Trek boots and white socks. What amazed me most was what he wore on his head. I combination of a blue head sweat band and some… goggles? It looked like it was meant to hold his wild messy hair in place. _'Strange.'_ He did not make eye contact with me. He kept staring out the window. _'He still looked pretty cute.'_

There was another cute boy sitting next to him with… _'NO, WAIT A MINUTE!'_ There was just a _girl_ sitting in the seat next to _goggle boy_. _'Yikes! I almost mistook her for a boy. She looks really tough. Almost like she is a… er… tomboy? I know I should not make any judgements. Well, for me going to an all-girl school, I notice these things.'_ They must know each other. The girl wore a yellow sleeveless shirt with white trims and a pair of denim blue jeans. Red colored Hatch Expedition gloves covered her hands. For footwear she wore red Danner Acadia hiking shoes. I could see she had some sort of red butt pack around her waist. What amazed me most was what she wore on her head. I did not know what it was, but it looked like a blue and turquoise colored… helmet or something with hanging chinstraps. The "helmet" hugged her head nicely. Some of her red colored hair stuck out underneath…

__

'Gee, reddish hair? Was that natural? Sure looks like it is.' I slapped myself mentally, _'What am I thinking? So what? I should not be rude. She does have nice hair though.'_ My curiosity got the better of me, as I was about to touch the "helmet" to see what it was made of, if it was soft or… I stopped myself. That would have been really rude! The girl looked like she could beat up anybody! I did not want to start anything bad, especially on the first day to camp. Luckily she has not noticed my presence yet nor did she notice me attempting to examine her… helmet. I just forgot about the red head's helmet and continued down the aisle way. All of a sudden the boy with the messed-up hair made a brief eye contact with me so I quickly turned and walked away towards my friends.

I passed another occupied seat. Here I saw two blonde haired boys… '_I do not believe it! Blondes and redheads all here on one coach! That was a first in Japan.'_ I laughed, _'Oh well, I had met a girl with natural PINK hair. Not that my hair was any less strange!'_ The two boys looked like brothers, I guessed. There was a definite age difference between the two. The older boy was sitting in the aisle seat while the younger one was sitting at the window. The older boy did not look at me, he had his eyes closed and arms folded over his chest as if in deep thought. I guessed he was uncomfortable being around with his younger sibling. Like it was making him look not cool. His blonde hair was spiky yet nicely styled. He was dressed in a dark green turtleneck sleeveless shirt and a pair of dark blue denim jeans with the ends folded at his ankles. A pair of dark brown Altama hiking shoes adorned his feet. He also had a pair of dark brown Hatch duty gloves on his hands. _'Hmmm… He looks kind of cute.'_

I made a quick glance at the younger boy at the window. He sure was very young and cute too! He was dressed in a bright green sleeveless anorak and a lime green long sleeve shirt underneath. He also wore light brown faded BDU shorts. A pair of green trimmed Rocky sports shoes with yellow socks adorned his feet. A blue backpack was left on the side of him. I could not make out what he was wearing on his head. I thought it was a baseball cap but… I did not know what it was. It was green with a blue… It was green with flaps... er... All I could think of it was that it was large and green! _'Wow, it just seems that anyone with a tendency to wear weird headgear has to come on this trip. Including me.'_ I sighed, _'So much for me knowing about fashion.'_

The young boy looked away from the window and made eye contact with me. I saw the color of his eyes… _'BLONDE AND WITH BLUE EYES? Now I have seen everything!'_ He smiled and waved at me. I smiled back and gave a polite wave.

"Nice hat," he said to me.

__

'Great, my Mother knew that my new hat would be conversation starter.' I blushed, "Thanks." …I had to say it… "I like yours too."

He smiled and turned to his brother who was still in deep thought. "You see, _oniichan,_ you were wrong. I told you she was nice."

__

'Oh oh! What did he mean by that?' I looked at his older brother. His eyes were still closed, yet a strange twitch in his expression was visible. _'Was he blushing?'_ Finally he opened his eyes slowly. His blue eyes pierced through his blonde spiked hair that barely covered his eyes. His arms were still folded over his chest as his blue eyes turned up to meet mine. His expression was… unreadable. I felt very uncomfortable now. He just stared at me as if he was accusing me of something. _'Okay, this guy is freaking me out.'_

Finally he closed his eyes again and spoke in a cool tone, "Shut up, Takeru. That is not polite. Mind your own business." The younger sibling, Takeru, stuck his tongue at him playfully and shrugged at me.

I did not know how to feel. I just turned and quickly made my way to my friends. _'Those two were strange. I hope I do not end up treating Tetsuo like that.'_

I finally reached the seats that Noriko, Hoshi, and Kyoko occupied as they greeted me. I noticed that on the opposite side of the aisle was the tall blue haired boy with glasses sitting alone. His eyes were closed and arms were crossed over his chest. He had a very serious or irritated look on his face. _'This seemed to be very popular with the boys on the coach. I wonder why he is like that though.'_

Noriko and Hoshi were in the seat in front of Kyoko, which she was saving a seat for me. Muchitsujo, Noriko was in the 8th grade as I was. Noriko was almost a full year older than I was, but like myself, she advanced two grades higher. She always acted like the boss of our group. Noriko had long jet-black hair and brown eyes. She wore an orange T-shirt and a black Forager vest. She also had a pair of folded-up urban camouflage ripstop BDU trousers. Corcoran boots and gray socks adorned her feet. She had black Nomex deerskin gloves on her hands. She also wore a black Bancroft military beret. A black canvas purse was slung over her shoulders.

Hinotama, Hoshi was in the 7th grade. Hoshi was the same age as I. She advanced to the 7th grade just last semester. She hopes to advance another grade. Hoshi and Noriko have been childhood friends ever since I have met them. Hoshi had short blue hair and blue eyes. _'Genetics.'_ Hoshi was almost dressed like Noriko. However, she wore a white shirt and her trousers were dyed sky blue. She had a pair of black Altama Ranger boots with light blue socks. Instead of a beret, she wore a large black wool watch cap. The buckle of her black butt pack was visible around her waist.

Higami, Kyoko was still in the 6th grade. Kyoko did not have a chance to advance to a higher grade, but she still was one of the top students. She has no ambition to advance yet. Kyoko used to have long dark brown hair. She dyed it lighter to match mine a few months ago, and has done so since. Her eyes were dark brown. She had a white T-shirt with a sleeveless pink sweater over it. She wore a blue denim skirt that cut below her knees. She had the same pair of Matterhorn Ranger boots with pink socks like the ones I was wearing now. A khaki purse, not like mine, was around her shoulders. She also had an Aussie Breezer hat that was dyed pink.

I know what you are thinking. Kyoko seemed to worship me in some way for awhile now. She always took care of things for me. I always asked her not to but she insists. I hate that. However, do not let that generous exterior fool you. She can sometimes take things too seriously and sometimes blow things way out of proportions. Kyoko was in fact the one that started the whole Chiba-Tsukino, Usagi incident. Threatening Usagi that only I could wear pink! It still angers me that Kyoko actually did that to her. I thought she was better than that!

"Hey, Meems!" greeted Hoshi.

Noriko just gave me her silent nod of her head. She was always liked to play tough.

"Love your new hat!" said Hoshi.

"Me too! If I knew you were bringing that to camp I would have brought mine!" said Kyoko.

__

'Kyoko, so eager to please…'

"Thanks guys," I replied. They were my best friends at school. Still, every time I spend with them, the more it feels like I knew them lesser each time. I am starting to feel it even more now.

Kyoko stood up from her aisle seat and moved out to the aisle. "I saved a seat for you, Mimi. Here, have a seat by the window," she said as she gestured to the empty seats. There was no use in refusing Kyoko. She would always insist when it came for my sake. I still hate it. I just did not want to go through her arguments right now. I just took the window seat as Kyoko sat down beside me.

"Thanks, Kyoko."

"You can put your purse in the overhead compartment if you want."

"No thanks, I rather have it with me," I replied.

"Okay. Anything for you, Mimi."

__

'I hate it when she says that.' I found myself saying, "Thanks, Kyoko."

"Your welcome! Hey! Definitely traveling in style, right Mimi?" Kyoko said.

"Yeah," I said dully.

"Um, you okay, Mimi?" said Kyoko.

"I am sorry. Um, just a little tired. I had a rough night last night." That was not the half of it, but I think she bought it.

"Oh okay. You just go ahead and rest a bit. It's going to be a long ride."

__

'Great, just great,' I thought in disgust. I said, "Thank you for your concern, Kyoko."

"Hey, Meems. I saw you talking to that blonde cutie over there," said Hoshi.

"Hmm? Who?" I asked.

"The two blonde kids. I think they are brothers," said Kyoko.

"I think they're cute," giggled Hoshi.

"The taller one is mine," Noriko finally said something.

I sighed, _'Great. They always get like this when there are cute boys around. I had to enroll in an all-girl school.'_

I just wanted to ignore them. I guess I was actually tired…

~~~

****

5 minutes later…

Leaving Odaiba Bus Terminal

A dream…

Two voices.

__

"Reinheit… Junshin…"

__

"Kenntnis… Chishiki…"

__

Hoshi's voice… "Hey, that red head kid has a laptop."

__

Kyoko's voice… "Not as cool as your _Strawberry_, Mimi."

I heard my name and finally woke up. I noticed that the coach was finally moving. "W-what, you guys?" I asked, still a bit groggy.

"That short red-head sitting by that tall dork has a laptop just like yours Mimi," said Noriko.

"Yeah, but it is in the original pineapple color shell. It's not a cool pink like your _Strawberry_," said Kyoko.

I was not sure whom they were talking about. I looked in the direction where Kyoko was looking at. I saw a little boy with spiky red hair and very dark black eyes that took the aisle seat next to the tall blue haired boy. His eyes looked totally black from where I could see. He wore an orange dress shirt and a pair of olive drab cargo shorts. He had what appeared to be the new black Shaka Street Hiker shoes with purple trim and decorated with yellow lightning bolts. He also had bright green socks. On his hands he wore a pair of bright yellow Dave Larken ergonomic duty gloves.

I finally saw what my friends were talking about. This boy was busily typing away on his Pineapple brand laptop. I was amazed. He even had a custom made laptop back pack carrier case. I guess he too knew of the contraband items that did not include computers and such. I had to smile. I would have brought mine too, the _Strawberry,_ but I had no room left in my purse. I just brought my Sony PalmNAVe. I do not think my friends knew I brought it along either.

I could barely make out the screen. It was in security mode in which only the user can see the screen clearly. However, what I saw amazed me. I could still see a familiar window and toolbars a bit. He was definitely using the Omni System Commander, a special programming language program! It was something I do not normally use because I am not that interested in programming that much. Just every so often still. However, by the rate this kid was working at the keyboard, he was definitely a pro! I started to admire this boy. He knew how to run his laptop. He was not surfing or playing games. He was actually doing computer language programs! _'Wow! He is really smart! He is really cute too! Something about his eyes strikes me… I wish I could know more abou-'_

"What a loser. Probably surfing through hentai sites with that thing," I heard Noriko say.

My thoughts were interrupted by the banter from my friends. _'I could not believe she said that! How cruel! That was uncalled for!'_ I kept my eyes on the boy. I saw him flinch a bit. His eyes were twitching. He was really upset but he tried not to show it. He did not want to in anyway satisfy my friends' opinion of him. He just ignored them and continued typing away as if nothing was wrong. I caught a glimpse of the taller boy with glasses sharing the seat next to the boy with the laptop. He still kept the same stoic expression with his arms crossed and eyes closed. However, I could see the scowl beginning to form on his face. I looked at my friends in disgust.

__

'Oh God. Do not let them start this again…'

~~~

****

10 minutes later…

Odaiba Highway

"Which would you think, Kyoko? The geek or the dork?" said Noriko.

"I thought he was a nerd," said Kyoko.

"Geek, nerd, dork… What's the difference?" replied Noriko.

"So what do you think, Meems? The computer geek… is he cute or what?" asked Hoshi.

__

'Damn it!' I started to get really irritated. I was very embarrassed of myself, for the two boys, and for my friends. "Will you guys stop it! He can hear you!" I said in a loud whisper.

"So what? Let 'em. Not like he ever has a chance being with girls…" one of them said. I did not care whom.

I looked back at the red headed boy. His dark eyes were full of unleashed emotions. He buries himself even more into his programming. He tries not to cry or anything. _'I am so sorry about my friends. Please do not cry. I am so sorry.'_

All I could do was ignore my friends…

__

'When will this to end?'

~~~

****

Minutes passed…

I pretended to sleep. My hearing was starting to get effected by the high altitude. Still, it could not prevent me from hearing my friends… my _associates_ continuous ranting…

"…yeah right, the blonde kid's mine..."

"The geek is more like your taste, Noriko…"

"Yeah, and the dork is your height too…"

"Shut up…"

"What do you think, Meems?"

"Mimi?"

"Quite, you two! Can't you see she's trying to get some beauty sleep."

"Yeah, right… I am starting to worry about Mimi now…"

"Well, maybe she'll start beginning to like the computer geek… or maybe even the dork…"

Laughing…

__

'Damn them all…'

~~~

****

26 minutes later…

Odaiba Mountain Pass

"Hey look! Isn't it snowing over there?"

"Whoa! It is snowing! Snowing in the valley there."

I heard a lot of kids saying _ooh's_ and _ahh's_. I felt Kyoko climbing over me. I guessed she wanted to get a better view of what ever it was out there. I finally found the time to _wake up_ and glanced out the window. We were in the higher roads just past the clouds. What I saw struck me as odd. In the far distance from the Odaiba pass, I could see a valley. It was all covered with… snow! It was snowing in the adjoining valley to where the campsite was! The weather patterns seemed to be getting worse than I thought. I hope the snow does not reach the campsite. I did not bring enough warm clothes. They might have to cancel the whole summer camp session.

__

'Would be fine by me.'

"Have you ever seen the like?" I heard someone say.

"Never."

"Cool. I wonder if it would snow at camp."

"A chance to play in the snow! At least it won't be a totally hot summer."

Well, it was very interesting. While everyone was busy looking out toward that side of the coach, I decided to look back at the boy with the laptop. He was interested and was looking at the snow from his seat as well. The blue haired boy with glasses was too, but turned back to his usual stoic position when he saw me looking at both of them. Then the red headed boy's dark eyes meet with mine. I did not know what to do. I felt so bad at what happened with my friends, and I did nothing to stop it. The only thing I could think of was to show my sympathy to him. I was so sorry. I gave him a reassuring smile and waved politely to him. After what seemed like minutes, he just turned quickly away. His face mixed with bottled emotions. He started to work again on his laptop…

I felt so terrible when he turned away like that. I faced forward again despite Kyoko still hovering over me. All I could think of was, _'He definitely hates me now…'_

~~~

****

15 minutes later…

Odaiba Mountain Camp Grounds

I was awakened from my reverie by a voice. A very familiar and irritating voice…

"Mimi, we're here!" cried Kyoko.

"Oh, okay," I replied. I yawned a bit to give her the impression I was sleeping all this time.

"Well, we're getting ready to go."

"Okay, Kyoko."

A lot of kids where gathering their belongings and headed out the exit doors. I wanted to check on the boy again. Unfortunately, all I saw was the tall boy in his usual stoic position with an empty seat next to him. The red head boy had already left his seat and quickly exited out the door, along with his Pineapple laptop. I do not think my friends noticed or even cared that he left in a hurry. _'Funny, since they picked on him the whole trip. Those inconsiderate bit-'_

__

'Wait! Pineapple! That message! What did it say?'

__

Palms read…

…follow the pineapple

I remembered it was something like that. _'Did it have something to do with him? I wonder if he knew about it. I wonder if he sent the message. Nah, that cannot be! Still, I have to get to the bottom of this!'_ With all of these questions swimming in my head, I had to check my mailbox on my Sony PalmNAVe just to be sure-

"Aren't you coming yet, Meems," asked Noriko.

"No, you three go on ahead. I just have to check on something…" I replied.

"You sure? You need help, Mimi?" asked Kyoko.

__

'Damn it! I wished she would just shut the f-' I said, "No thank you, Kyoko. You guys go on ahead. I will meet you later. It will be just a second or so."

"All rightly then, see ya at the cabin," said Hoshi as she got out of her seat to let Noriko a chance to get out of her seat. "Bye, Meems."

__

'I would rather be swallowed up by a giant whale.' I replied, "Bye, Hoshi."

"Bye, Meems," said Noriko as she waved to me and followed Hoshi toward the exit. "I am sure we would have a load of fun together."

__

'I would rather be walking in the sewers or have a rain of crap hurled at me.' I smiled and said, "I am sure too. Bye."

"See you later, Mimi," Kyoko said with a wink and she followed Noriko and Hoshi.

"Bye, Kyoko. Bye, guys." I said with a fake smile. _'Yes, bye, you inconsiderate…'_

I watched them leave. They started to laugh amongst themselves as they walked towards the exit. I was totally disgusted and frustrated with them. No doubt they were continuing their rant about the boy with the Pineapple laptop or that tall boy with the glasses. I would not be surprise if they were insulting me behind my back now because of my refusal to participate in any of their antics. I would care even less if they were. I sometimes wonder about my friends. Never have I shared anything more about my life. Me being adopted, my total fascination with computers. All they know is masks I wear. They only see the fashionable, popular, rich, ditzy, Pink Princess. That is the Mimi Tachikawa they know. They do not know the real me. _'I am going to keep it that way!'_

__

'I do not think I can call them my friends anymore… For the first time in my life, I hate them! I HATE THEM! And I hate what I have become! They see me as an equal to them… And I did nothing to stop them from hurting innocent strangers…'

Just a few kids were left on the bus. One of them was the blue haired boy with glasses. I wanted to apologize to him now for my friends' cruel behavior. Those things they said were uncalled for. I stood and faced him. However, he just stood up from his seat with his eyes closed and his face did not show any emotion I could read.

__

'Great, he is ignoring me. I have no chance to apologize, not now at least. I still have to try. It is still the right thing for me to do. He might not let me, though. I cannot blame him.'

As he was about to walk down the aisle, he all of a sudden turned unexpectedly back toward me. He was not facing nor looking directly at me, sort of off the side. His eyes were not exactly opened to begin with. His glasses were slipping down his nose. He slowly pushed it up with his middle finger, turned, and continued on out toward the exit. If I did not know better, I could have sworn that this older boy just gave me… _the finger._

I covered my face in disgust. I muttered to myself, "Oh great. Could this summer get any worse?"

****

The End


End file.
